For package No. 2, the average moisture content derived from the ovendry test was 

 4.2 percent higher than the moisture meter average; 2.9 percent higher for package 3; 

 and 5.8 percent higher for package 4. These increases might be attributed to the re- 

 duced reliability of moisture meter readings above 25 percent and the fact that the 

 meter readings were not corrected for species (James 1975) . A relationship between 

 moisture values obtained from meter readings and the ovendry method is discussed under 

 "Recommendations . " 



The drying stress sections indicated that only minor stresses were present. The 

 prongs on 61 of these specimens remained straight, on 26 specimens there was a slight 

 degree of casehardening (prongs turned inward) and on 6 specimens there was a slight 

 reverse casehardening (prongs turned outward) (fig. 2). The turning of the prongs in- 

 ward indicated that some tension set had developed and turning of the prongs outward 

 would occur only when wood below 30 percent moisture content was rewet . 



For green western white pine, the Wood Handbook (Forest Products Laboratory 1974) 

 lists values of 62 and 148 percent moisture content for heartwood and sapwood, respec- 

 tively. The average moisture content by oven test of our wettest test package is 

 about half of the moisture content value for green heartwood; so a drying time about 

 half as long should be expected. The low moisture content should also enable the wood 

 to withstand a higher initial dry bulb temperature than could be used with green wood. 

 With this more severe drying schedule, the initial wet bulb depression should be minimal 

 in order to reduce the development of drying stresses (McMillen 1968) . 



Figure 2. — Photo of typical drying stress sections obtained from boards in package 

 No. 3, 4, and 2. The center figure shows casehardening; the figure on the right 

 shows reverse casehardening . 



