192 



J. V. DE COQUE. 



open on the side least ex- 

 posed to the sun's rays. 

 S^T X. /^^^I^^^^S 1 attribute this to the fact 



that the dryer or more 

 seasoned the wood is, the 

 stronger it is across the 

 grain, consequently the 

 least exposed side being 

 greenest does the greatest 

 proportion of splitting dur- 

 ing the seasoning process. 



Take a squared girder and place it on the ground ; it will open 



on the side that is in contact with 

 the ground, for the same reason, 

 namely, that it is the greenest, 

 also that it is exposed to moisture 

 to a more or less degree. If the 

 timber is subject to gum veins, 

 the piece, as shown in sketch, will 

 shell off after the vein of gum 

 dries, a bad fault in all our hard- 

 woods subject to gum veins. 



Ground. 



All sawn hardwood timbers will invariably, to a more or less 

 degree, according to class, during the process of drying shrink 

 from the side nearest the heart, as the following sketches demon- 

 strate : 



Sawn piece 



unseasoned, 



planed and 



worked 



square. 



Sawn piece seasoned 

 but originally 

 worked square, 



showing shrinkage 

 from heart. 



