282 TIMBERS AND THEIR USES 



also, and that autumn and winter-felled wood, 

 other things being equal, is of better quality 

 and less liable to subsequent mishap than spring 

 and summer-felled wood, but on this point let 

 us quote Professor Record. 



"It is generally believed that winter-felled 

 timber has decided advantages over that cut 

 at other seasons of the year, and to that cause 

 alone are frequently ascribed much greater 

 durability, less liability to check and split, 

 better colour and even increased strength and 

 toughness. The conclusion from the various 

 experiments made on the subject is that while 

 the time of felling may, and often does, affect 

 the properties of the wood, such result is due 

 to the weather conditions rather than to the 

 condition of the wood. 



" There are two phases of this question. One 

 is concerned with the physiological changes 

 which might take place during the year in the 

 wood of a living tree. The other deals with 

 the purely physical results due to the weather, 

 as differences of temperature, humidity, moisture 

 and other features to be mentioned later. 



" Those who adhere to the first view main- 

 tain that wood cut in summer is quite different 

 in composition from that cut in winter. One 

 opinion is that in summer the ' sap is up,' while 

 in winter it is 'down,' consequently winter- 



