88 
Ohio Biological Survey 
diameter of the section of some of the smaller-growing species was 
less than 15 inches and in a few instances in some of the larger- 
growing species it was considerably more. In some cases the sec¬ 
tions were taken close to the stump of the tree and at other times at 
some distance up the trunk. As nearly as possible each sample rep¬ 
resented the wood midway between center and circumference of sec¬ 
tion of trunk. Sap wood and the oldest heart wood were equally 
excluded. Wherever possible sections representing a fair average of 
the merchantable timber portion of the tree were taken. 
After the sections were selected they were split into small pieces 
carefully numbered and allowed to remain in a dry room for more 
than a year. 
In seven cases a duplicate sample was taken and carefully marked 
as such. By a mechanical planer and trimmer each sample was re¬ 
duced to the exact dimensions, 9 inches in length, IY 2 inches wide, 
and % inch in thickness, and therefore contained approximately 
0.00585 of a cubic foot. 
It is well known that the rate of absorption as well as the rapid¬ 
ity of drying, depends very largely on the size and shape of the piece, 
as well as on the structure of the wood and the species. As the sam¬ 
ples were of equal size and all treated alike, the test, while not con¬ 
clusive for any one species, are at least comparable in results. 
After the samples were prepared each one was carefully weighed 
and from this weighing calculations were made of the weight per 
cubic foot of each species. (See Table I.) In some cases these 
weights agree with those published by other authors but in other 
cases they do not. On the average, however, they do agree fairly 
well for thoroly air-dried woods of the size and shape named. 
Immediately after the weighing the samples were submerged in 
water, the water being that of the temperature of the room where the 
tests were made. 
The samples were first put into water January 17, at ten o’clock 
a. m. and were taken out and weighed just 24 hours thereafter. The 
samples were removed from the water one at a time and after the ad¬ 
hering water was wiped off with a cloth, they were weighed, and im¬ 
mediately placed in fresh clear water. They were weighed the second 
time 48 hours after the first. The third weighing was one week after 
the second; the fourth two weeks after the third; the fifth two weeks 
