Results and Discussion 



The temperature-corrected moisture meter readings indicated that the average mois- 

 ture content of all the boards in the four packages was 23.7 percent, with the values 

 ranging from 15 to 31 percent (table 1) . The ranges in moisture contents for the var- 

 ious packages show that the values were fairly consistent. The average percent moisture 

 contents for the individual packages were 20.8, 25.1, 26.7, and 25.1, respectively. 



A summary of the moisture content and moisture distribution sections (A and B 

 specimens), averaged by packages, is shown in table 2. These values show that the 

 difference in percent moisture content between the shell and core was slight. This is 

 as expected--the boards were newly sawed and had had no opportunity to dry. Likewise 

 the difference in moisture content of the three specimens was slight. The greatest 

 difference was 1.7 percent for package No. 3. 



Table 1 . --Summary of the moisture meter values^ for dimension 

 lumber produced from dead, western white pine logs 



Package 

 number 



Size of 

 boards 



Number of 

 boards 



Moisture content of boards 2 



Minimum 



Maximum 



Average 



Percent 



by 4 

 by 4 

 by 4 

 by 6 



204 

 204 

 192 

 128 



15 

 16 

 18 

 18 



50 

 30 

 31 

 28 



20.8 

 23.1 

 26.7 

 25.1 



All 

 packages 



728 



15 



31 



23.7 



^The moisture meter readings were corrected for temperature. 



2 The average of at least three moisture meter readings taken on each board was 

 used for the moisture content of that board. 



Table 



2. --Summary of actual moisture 



content (ovendry method) 



of test 





sections A and B cut from 



lumber of dead western white pine logs 





: Number of : 



: Average moisture 



content 



Package 



: boards : 



: : B sections 



number 



: in subsample : Size 



: A sections : Shell 



: Core 







----- Percent - - - 





2 



10 2 by 4 



26.3 27.6 



27.3 



3 



9 2 by 4 



28.4 27.9 



29.6 



4 



6 2 by 6 



29.2 30.3 



30.9 



3 



