REPORT OF EXPERIMENTS IN WOOD SEASONING. 



Chemical Laboratory, 



Aurora^ IIJ.^ January 9, 1889. 



Mr. G. W. EiiODES, 



Superintendent M. P., Chicago and Burlington B. B. Go. : 



Dear Sir : Herewith is submitted a report on a secoad series of 

 " experiments in the fluctuation of moisture in wood during seasoning/' 

 a report on first series having been submitted March 2, 1887. Accom- 

 panying this are diagrams showing the weekly fluctuation of the moist- 

 ure for every piece used during the experiments, based upon the exact 

 percentages of moisture in the tables given herein. In the diagrams 

 the nearest to a whole per cent, was taken. 



The object of this second series was to corroborate, if i^ossible, the 

 conclusions of the first series, viz: (1) To determine the time that out- 

 door seasoning begins and ends as indicated by the moisture 5 (2) to 

 ascertain whether the wood will again take back moisture during the 

 wet seasons of the fall and spring; (3) effects of size of wood 5 and (4) 

 whether one season is sufficient to season wood. 



To determine these questions, fifteen pieces of unseasoned timber, as 

 wet as could be obtained, wore placed out of doors in a latticed shed, 

 and loosely piled with cleats between and a board topping, all to x)ro- 

 tect from direct dripping and rain, and yet to be under the same condi- 

 tions as outdoor seasoned lumber. 



All of the oak was from Kentuck3^, the pine from Michigan, ash from 

 Arkansas, white- wood from Tennessee, and elm from Michigan. 



The first lot of lumber, including all but the pine, was received Wed- 

 nesday, December 29, 188G, and the first determination of moisture made 

 Monday, January 3, 1887. The four pines were received later, the first 



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