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NOTICE OF AUTHORS. 



former, and about six times that of the other. We 

 cut a number of pieces of exactly equal length and 

 thickness (17 inches long, and nearly an inch on 

 the side), from each of these, choosing them of clean 

 straight fibre, at equal distance from the ground, 

 and from the outside of the tree, and having their 

 growths nearly parallel to one side, of course free of 

 heart. We proved one of each immediately on be- 

 ing cut out while full of sap^ with their growths on 

 edge in horizontal position, supported at each end 

 with a weight suspended from the middle. The small- 

 est growthed, and the largest, weighed at the time of 

 trial nearly equal; the medium growthed one-thirtieth 

 more. The smallest growthed supported the weight 

 about six minutes; the medium and the largest 

 about half that time ; the smallest growthed yielded 

 the least before breaking, and the largest yielded 

 the most. When completely dried, the weight of 

 the medium growthed still continued greatest, surpas- 

 sing the largest one-fourteenth, and the smallest 

 about one- thirtieth. The smallest and medium sup- 

 ported nearly equal weight, during equal time, and 

 outbore the largest about one-seventh * ; when placed 



* The time the weight is in suspension, must be attended to. 

 A beam will support a much gi-eater weight during a minute 

 than during an hour ; and two beams may be found, the one ca- 



