CHAP. X.] 



TENSILE STRENGTH. 



107 



upon, and referred to in Tables VII. and VIII. They 

 appear to be of better quality than those referred to in 

 Table IX. The following are the results : — 



Table XIV. 

 Tensile Experiments. 



Very little appears to be known of the amount of 

 resistance offered by British Oak to a crushing force, 

 when applied in the direction of its fibres. Some ex- 

 periments of the kind have, it is true, been made, both 

 in this and in other countries, but the results, as published, 

 are far from being satisfactory, inasmuch as they vary 

 to a great extent, as between author and author, and 

 afford no reliable measure of the strain to which a pillar 

 or column can be safely loaded. 



The difficulty of carrying out these experiments is 

 indeed so great, and withal so extremely tedious, that 

 it is no matter of surprise more has not been done in 

 this direction. I have, therefore, with the view of 

 supplying a want long felt, availed myself of every 

 opportunity to extend this important inquiry, by experi- 

 menting not only upon English Oak timber, but upon 



