102 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
REPORT 
Of M. D^tmas to the French Academy on AI. Bon- 
cherie's process of preserving Wood. 
TRANSLATED BY EDWARD TILDHMAN, C. E. 
The Academy having Lharged M. M. Arago, 
de Mirable, Poncelet, Gambey, Auaom, Bous- 
sengault and myselt, with the examination of 
the memoir of Dr. Boncherie on the preserva- 
tion of wood from decay, we proceed to the ac- 
complishment of this duty. 
The Academy has already beheld the prepa- 
rations oi the author with sr great an interest — 
it has, at this moment, such remarkable .speci- 
mens of the process before its eyes — that the la- 
bor of its Committee, in some respects at least, 
is greatly abridged. 
Dr. Boncherie proposes te render wood much 
more durable, to preserve its elasticity, to pre- 
vent its warping from alternate exposure to dry- 
ness and moisture, to diminish its combustibili- 
ty, to increase its tenacity and hardness, and, 
lastly, to give it colors and even odor the most 
various and durable. All these requirements 
are obtained by novel, simple and economical 
means, and by the aid of common and low-pri- 
ced materials. To impregnate an entire tree 
with the proper coloring, or preservative mate- 
rial, our author has recourse to no complicate 
mechanical means; he avails himself of the na- 
tural suction of the tree itself, w'hich is sufficient 
to raise from the base to the highest branches, 
the liquids he wishes to introduce, provided that 
they are maintained at a certain degree of con- 
centration; thus, when a tree is severed from 
its roots the end is plunged in the liquid you 
wish it to imbibe, which, in a few days, ascends 
to its topmost leaves and pervades the whole 
vegetable tissue. It is not essential that the 
tree should retain all its branches or leaves — a 
few branches at the top is sufficient to induce 
the necessary suction; neither is it requisite that 
it should always be preserved upright, which 
would oTten render the operation impossible. — 
Having cut it down and deprived it of its use- 
less branches, the butt is then placed in contact 
with the liquid to be absorbed, wdiich penetrates 
the wood in every part. Finally, it is not even 
necessary to fell the tree, for if a cavity be ex- 
cavated at its base, or a transverse saw cut be 
made through a portion of the base, it will af- 
ford sufficient contact with the preservative li- 
quid, and the absorption will be as rapid and 
complete as before. 
The impregnation which is thus affected in a 
short time, wuthout trouble or expense, will be 
found to be a different process from those hith- 
erto made to impregnate wood already cut, 
have been effected by the action of the most 
powerful machines, or by tne prolonged effect of 
the liquid in which it was submerged. The no- 
vel and ingenious process recommended by Dr, 
Boncherie subjects to human industry an im- 
mense natural force, and permits it to introduce 
without labor, into the most delicate vegetable 
tissues, any soluble substance it may be thought 
mseful to place there. It our author has solved 
the grand problem he proposed to himself in the 
most simple and practical manner, he has not 
evinced less sagacity in the choice of materials 
necessary to produce the desired effects as to 
preservation, &c. To increase the durability 
and hardness of woo^, and to prevent the w-et 
and dry rot, he introduces into its pores the py- 
rolignite of iron: this substance is chosen be- 
cause it is produced by pyroiignious acid, which 
is to be obtained in any forest where charcoal is 
made; this acid is easily transformed into pyro- 
lignite of iron by putting it in contact, even 
when cold, wuth old scrap iron. The liqiuid 
thus prepared is replete with creosote, which, 
of itsell, without the salt of iron, hardens and 
preserves wood as well as defends it from the 
attacks of insects. 
Official experiments have been made at the 
fungus pits at Bordeaux upon hoops (circles) 
prepared by the author, which have resulted in 
establishing, in the most triumphant manner, 
the great durability of wood thus embalmed. — 
The unprepared hoops crumbled to pieces at 
the least touch, whilst the others were as sound 
as when first placed there. To prevent the 
warping of wood, to preserve its elasticity and 
diminish its combustibility, our author has re- 
course to the use of the chlorides which have 
nearly the desired effect. Fully impressed with 
the conviction that his process must shortly 
come into universal use, he is not content with 
the chloride of lime, already so cheap, he has 
experimented upon the sea water of the salt 
maishes, a costless material, in which he has 
found all the desirable qualities. Wood pre- 
pared w’ith these saline solutions, preserves its 
flexibility when exposed to the air many years; 
in their strips it may be bent and rebent the 
contrary way in a spiral v/ithout breaking; nei- 
ther will it crack or warp from the greatest ex- 
treme of dryness. Lastly, it will not burn, or, 
at least, with such difficulty as to be easily ex- 
tinguished. 
To these great and useful properties, which 
the naval constructior and civil engineer will 
appreciate and profit by, our author has added 
others, which, without being so importantly 
useful, promises to afford new methods and 
materials to the arts. He colors wood in clouds 
so various and so beautifully curious, that the 
cabinet maker wall And it to disadvantage totuse 
the. more common wmods in lieu of the more 
costly. The specimens of these preparations 
now before the Acade^ relieves us from all 
detail; it w'ill be suffici® to observe. 
That the pyrolignite bf iron, when used by 
itself, produces a brown tint of the same color 
wdth those knotty parts of the wood where the 
liquid cannot penetrate. 
When tlie pyrolignite is succeeded by any 
tanning liquid it produces ink in the body of the 
wmod, and we obtain, by these means, a blue- 
black or gre3n A Prussian blue is caused by 
the absorption of the pyrolignite immediately 
by the prussiate of potash. 
By introducing successively acetate of lead 
and chromate of potash, the yellow chromate of 
lead is produced. 
We may produce the most various and beau- 
tiful effects by introducing simultaneously the 
pyrolignite of iron, the prussiate, the acetate of 
lead and the chromate of potash, wdiich cause 
blended clouds of blue, green, }'ellow and brown. 
Thus we find our author does not confine 
himself to the introduction of one liquid only, 
but causes many to enter the same vegetable, 
and thus produces any modification of color he 
may wish; these solutions, causing such diver- 
sity of color, may be varied almost to infinity. 
Chemistr}'^ is rich enough in reactions of this 
kind to satisfy the most fastidious caprice. We 
wall not here speak of rendering wood odorifer- 
ous by impregnations of this nature; it is an 
application too easily understood and too much 
confined„ to mere luxury to compare in impor- 
tance wdth the more useful details already given. 
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 
The remainder of the report is omitted as 
containing nothing of interest to the general 
reader; the rival claims M. Millet D’Auben- 
ton to the honor of the discovery are mention- 
ed, and very shortly exploded, and the report 
concludes by recommending that the Doctor’s 
memoire be published in the Recuceil des Sa- 
vans etrangers. —Southern Miscellany. 
Cure for Mange in Swine. — A corre.spon- 
dent of the Maine Farmer says: — Take raw to- 
bacco, steeped in cold and strong chamber ley, 
pour off the clear liquor, then mix it, equal parts, 
with lamp oil, and then rub on the composition. 
It is a safe and sovereign remedy for mange, in 
all stages and all animals, brute or human. — 
This ointment, if kept in a tight bottle, will 
keep good any length of time. It should be 
w’ell shaken together when used, for the parts 
soon separate when standing. 
To Cure Scratches in a Horse. — Wash 
the legs with strong soap suds, and then wdth 
beef brine. Twm applications will cure the 
worst case. — Cent. N. Y. Fanner. 
RYE TURNING TO CHEAT. 
La Grange, N. C., May 25, 18-12. 
Messrs. Editors — I have taken a seat at my 
writing table to assert a fact or principle in na- 
ture, wffiich I have heard disputed time and 
again; but I think I shall be able to corroborate 
my assertion wdth such evidence as to convince 
the most sceptical — but to the subject. During 
last summer I fallowed two acres of lani^ad- 
joiningmy meadow, for the purpose of so\ffing 
rye. About the last of August I sowed the 
rye, and ploughed it in wdth gophers, and then 
harrow'ed it over, and it soon came up very 
thick. However, it grew off well and covered 
over the ground nearly before cold weather. — 
Thus it remained until in J anuary, when the 
weather wms so warm that the rye started out 
and seemed to be on the eve of jointing, but the 
cold weather that came on in Februar)^ checked 
it and killed seme of the under blades, but it did 
not appear to be seriously injured until our 
March winter, after wffiich I noticed that nine- 
tenths of the bunches w^ere wdthout the least ap- 
pearance of life, and remained so about a fort- 
night, wffien out of these death-hkehymehes there 
came very luxuriant young r}'e, (as I thought,) 
and continued to grow finely, but it did not .seem 
to keep pace with the scattering rye that was 
not killed out by the freezes; I therefore turned 
rny horses on it for the purpose of eating off the 
forw’ard bunches, so as to make it more evenly; 
this being effected, there was no more grazing 
done on it for some w'eeks, when to my utter as- 
tonishment I discovered that all the Lunches 
that had been seemingly killed was producing 
CHEAT instead of rye. Now, here is the 
case, — the rye being sowed very early, was ra- 
pidly advancing towards maturity befi're it was 
overtaken by the cold weather, wffiich held it in 
check until that very remarkable wmrm weather 
in January, when it put forth as if winter had 
been over; then the coldofFebruary and March 
completely destroyed the germs of all those 
bunches whose roots were still alive, and after- 
wards put forth suckers, which is the cheat, for 
I, in examining, found a bunch, (which was 
from one grain of rye,) with rye and cheat both 
proceeding from the same root, and the blades 
of the cheat are broader than I ever saw before, 
and have somewhat the resemblance of rye, 
some of which are f of an inch in wddth, &c. 
I noticed an editorial article in the last num- 
ber of the Advocate, relative to the blast in oats, 
which embodies good sound ideas, no doubt.— 
But my experience on that subject has confirm- 
ed me in the followdng notions, as relates to the 
cause of smut or black heads in oats, as well as 
the remedy to arrest or dissipate that disease. — 
1st, sow ripe seed in due time, which is soon as 
the ground can be caught in order after the 20th 
of February; (for here I wall take the liberty of 
saying that my oats were all sowm and were ex- 
posed to the snow and freezings of last March, 
and I never had finer looking oats at this sea- 
son;) those intended for seed should be allowed 
to stand until fully ripe, some three or four days 
longer than those intended for food. The seed 
oats should by no means be w'et, or even damp, 
by dew or rain, when bound, but dr}’- arirf bound 
in small bundles, and then housed or stacked 
before getting wet, if possible. The above is 
our course, and we seldom suffer any loss by the 
above mentioned disease in oats. 
Yours, respectfully, 
D. W. C, JOHNSON. 
P. S. I believe the cause, or at least the prime 
cause of smut in oats, is cutting the seed oats 
too green; and also damages received by being 
over-heated in bundles or stacks. It is there- 
fore of great importance to be very careful of 
the oats intended for seed. d. w. c. j. 
Remarks. — We know that the view’s of our 
correspondent, Mr. J., in regard to other grain 
turning to cheat, has in years past, been very 
generally entertained — but had come to the con- 
clusion, that in this enlightened day the opinion 
w’as nearly exploded. We have no wish to be 
drawn into a controversy on the subject; but we 
w’ould just as much expect to see peaches grow'- 
