CUKE OF THE DRY ROT. 7 



I had lately a converfatlon with an old friend, who fhowed Some account o^ 

 me iwo parcels of rotten wood, from an oak barn floor, laid^^**^^" floor de- 

 about fixteen years ago. After lying twelve years it (hook upon 

 the joifts. On examination, it was found to be rotted in various 

 parts, and the planks, two inches and a half in thicknefs, were 

 nearly eaten through, though the outfide was glolTy, and with- 

 out blemifli. The joifts, and a large middle beam were laid at 

 the ends, in brick and mortar, to create a firm level. No earth 

 was near the wood ; and he thinks that no air could find a paf- 

 fage. The rottennefs was partly an impalpable powder, of 

 the colour of Spanifli fnufF, and other parts were black, as if 

 burnt ; the reft was clearly a fungus. 



This gentleman is a perfon of undoubted veracity ; but a nice It does not ap- 



and exa6l obfervation is necellary in fuch examinations. He f^^"^ *° **^\^ 



, ■' , , been caufed by 



thought nothmg ol any plant, and it is likely there was none of any plant. 



the Boletus; fo that my aflTertion that it was always to be found, 



was rather too fyftematic. 



I afked him if the timber was dry when laid down. He 

 could not however fay that had been particularly adverted to. 

 It had been fa wed from a large oak, and was, as he thought, 

 in all refpeds proper for a barn floor. As this feems not the 

 operation of the Boletni^, how did it happen ? 



We know that the oak, when in vegetation, is fubjeft to On the decay of 

 what I (hall call an exudation of juices, which produces the ^^* ^™'^"* 

 fungus, named the Agaric of the oak, with which the Druids 

 of old played many tricks. The oak, then, if fawed into thick 

 quantities, may emit thefe fame juices, as the progrefllive courfc 

 of nature to its entire decay. 



We have all ^Q^tw oaks of vaft fizs and ancient record, with 

 a great part of the outfide whole, and all the iniide gone ; 

 perhaps the work of a century. In all hollow trees fungus is 

 difcoverable. To ufe a law term, it is a mijnomcr to call it dry- 

 rot ; for the rotting principle is in moifiure. 



I had never feen the rot upon fo large a fcale as in timber. The preparation 

 till lately. The prevention, then, of beams, rafters, large of wood f^r pre- 

 , ^ • I 1 r 1 1 xi i. lervingit, fhould 



joifts, and pofts, put into the earth, from decay by the rot, be either char- 

 is in charring only, which will dry up all the fungus juices of ring, 

 wood in large fubftance. Paint, or a bituminous preparation, ^r bituminous 

 may probably flop up the pores, and prevent the rot in flighr paint. 

 work, where the treatment I before obferved, with fire, 

 might be incommodious, as in half-inch wainfcot, &c. 



The 



