236 M. B. WELCH. 
Whilst carrying out moisture determinations on Rose- 
‘wood, a film of oil was noticed on the condensate which 
had been driven off in the form of steam from the wet 
timber. A quantity of shavings, 14 tbs., was subjected to 
‘steam distillation by the Hconomic Chemist for several 
‘days ata pressure of about 5 Ibs. per sq. inch. The result- 
ing oil was blue in colour, rather viscous, and had a specific 
gravity at 15° O. of 0°924. It possessed a rather unpleasant 
smoky smell, with little resemblance to the odour of the 
seasoned wood. The yield obtained was 2°77 on the wet 
weight, the moisture content being 41°87 on the dry weight. 
This is equivalent toa yield of 3°83 on anhydrous wood or 
3°42% on air dried timber with a moisture content of 12%. 
After two days steaming, some of the shavings were 
examined microscopically and oil globules were found in 
shavings only 0°75 mm. in thickness, proving that, although 
readily volatile in steam, great difficulty is experienced in 
removing the oil from cells even slightly removed from the 
‘surface. 
Since the “‘sweating’’ is evidently due to a volatile oleo- 
resin, which is not entirely removed from cells less than 
‘0°30 m.m., 7.é., => inch from the surface, even after exposure 
to a temperature of over 100° ©. for a period of several days, 
it seems reasonable to suppose that, if the timber is 
thoroughly seasoned, there should be little trouble experi- 
enced from further exudation, provided that the surface 
which is to be polished is not freshly cleaned off, but has 
been exposed to the air for some months at least, after 
final preparation. A small board, obtained from a log of 
Rosewood felled on 28th April, 1922, at Chillingham in the 
Tweed District, New South Wales, was divided. into three, 
and the surfaces freshly cleaned up. One of them was 
‘steamed for 15 minutes, removing a brownish sediment and 
yielding an oil film on the surface of the condensed water. 
