Mil WITHERS. 



211 



with the growths on edge, they were stronger than 

 when placed with the growths flat. 



After these rather lengthy references to facts, we 

 must allude to a circumstance which we are astonish- 

 ed has not been attended to by Mr Withers, and his 

 gentlemen correspondents connected with His Ma- 

 jesty's docks, — the not taking into account the place 

 of the tree whence the portion of wood for experi- 

 menting the strength had been taken, and also how 

 the annual layers stood, whether horizontal or on 

 edge, or around a centre, when the weight was ap- 

 plied. The experienced and accurately practical 

 ISJr Withers presents two specimens of oak, the one 

 of faster and the other of slower growth, to Profes- 

 sor Barlow, of Woolwich Royal Academy, and the 

 strength of these specimens is tested and reported 

 upon, without once alluding to what we have men- 

 tioned above. Now, if this has not been attended 

 to, the experiment may be considered a test of 

 something else than of the timber. How much 

 the strength is affected by the place of the tree, 

 any person may satisfy himself by proving one 

 piece of timber taken from near the root, another 

 half way up the tree, and a third near the top: 

 he will find that in a tall tree the comparative 



pable of supporting the greatest weight during^ a minute, and the- 

 other the greatest during an hom\ 



Q £ 



