VII.] CARBONISING. 85 



but the broken pieces in the box of manure were safe, 

 and these I kept until the yard was completely cleared 

 of all its stores in 1871. At that time their condition 

 was as follows : — 



No. 4. Both pieces were considerably wasted. 



No. 5. One piece much wasted, the other less so. 



No. 6. Neither piece much wasted. 



No. 7. Both pieces much wasted. 



No. 8. On one piece some carbon remained ; the 

 other was much wasted. 



No. 9. Ditto ditto. 



The decay and waste between July, 1869, and April, 

 1 87 1, was very rapid, but the condition of the carbonised 

 and non-carbonised specimens was much the same ; it 

 leaves, therefore, little to say in favour of the charring 

 process, and I should not myself be inclined to use it on 

 timber for works of construction, except as a possible 

 means of preventing the generation of moisture or fungus 

 where two unseasoned pieces of wood are placed in 

 juxtaposition. 



An experiment in carbonising was tried on a piece 

 of plank 5 feet in length, one-half the breadth being 

 charred, the other not ; this was set in the ground under 

 the drip of a roof. In another case a piece of plank was 

 charred over half its length, the other not. Plates of 

 iron were then secured to each end, and the whole 

 immersed in water to ascertain whether the carbonising 

 of the surface would prevent oxidation. When, how- 

 ever, each of these was examined, some six months 

 later, it could not be seen on which side to give the 

 preference. 



The wood backing to the armour plates on the star- 

 board side of H.M.S. Caledonia was charred by M. de 

 Lapparent's process, with the view to test its efficacy 



