VOL. II. 
ALBANY, JULY, 1854. 
No. VII. 
What Time shall we Out Timber? 
Never in winter , but always in summer. It should 
be cut during the most rapid season of growth, and 
while that season is drawing towards a close. The 
same rule should be followed that skilful nurserymen 
observe in performing the operation of budding—that 
is, just as the terminal bud on each branch begins to 
form—as soon as it is first evident that the growth of 
the branch is about to terminate, but is still in active 
progress. Experienced tree-propagators have found 
that much earlier than this, the juices of the tree are 
in too thin or liquid a state to form a good adhesion 
between the bud and the peeled surface. From the 
moment that the bark- separates freely From the wood, 
these juices continue to thicken, until growth ceases al¬ 
together and the new wood is completely formed; and 
when this new wood is in the state of a thick paste or 
cement, then is the time that the bud will adhere most 
perfectly. This is the period when the bark may be 
peeled from a tree without destroying its vitality. 
And this is the time for cutting timber. Early in 
spring, the tree is full of sap, which is little else than- 
pure water, and which has been gradually accumula¬ 
ting through winter by the absorption of the roots, 
with no outlet for its escape, as there is in summer 
through myriads of leaves. While the tree is thus 
replete with water, it is in the worst condition to be 
cut. But towards midsummer, when a portion of this 
water has passed off through the leaves, and the rest 
has been much thickened by conversion into material 
for wood, the case is very different; for while the wa¬ 
tery sap promotes only decay, the thickened juices 
soon dry and harden, and assist in the preservation of 
the wood. 
We have recently been furnished with a number of 
facts, in corroboration of this opinion, by Isaac Hath¬ 
away, of Farmington, Ontario county, N. Y., an old 
and enterprising settler, a close and extensive observer, 
and who has had much experience in connexion with 
saw-mills and timber erections. All his observations 
tend to show the great difference between winter and 
summer cut timber, and induce him to think that, cut 
at the best period, it will last under the average of 
circumstances three times as long as when felled in 
winter. In one instance, a fence, consisting of winter- 
cut materials, a part split into„ rails, and a portion in 
round poles, of beech, maple, iron-wood, bass-wood, &e., 
had completely decayed in fifteen years, and none of 
it was even fit for fire-wood. In another case, a quan¬ 
tity of bass-wood rails were cut in summer, and split 
from the brown or heart portion of the tree. This was 
done about fifty years ago; thirty years afterwards 
the fence was quite sound, and even now some of the 
same rails remain undecayed, although much worn 
away by the weather. Winter saw-logs, left over one 
summer at the mill, are usually much decayed for 
several inches towards the interior; summer-cut logs, 
which have lain a like period, are always sound. He 
has cut hickory for axe-helves; if done in winter, de¬ 
cay soon commences, and the worm which loves this 
wood, often wholly destroys its value. Summer-cut, he 
has never known it to be attacked by the insect, and 
indeed it seems too bard for them to penetrate. He 
has had occasion to examine several old frames of 
buildings, and in every instance where the period of 
cutting could he determined, the same striking differ¬ 
ence in durability was conspicuous. 
He related several experiments on the durability of 
posts, one of‘which is worthy of repetition. In a gra¬ 
velly soil, where the water never remains, a stone bot¬ 
tom a few inches thick was laid in the post-hole, on 
which the post was set, and was then surrounded with 
stone closely rammed in on every side. As a conse¬ 
quence, the water never remains long enough in con¬ 
tact with the post to soak its interior, as would be the 
case if damp earth passed its outer surface. Such posts 
consequently give promise of remaining sound, after 
some years trial, at least twice the period of those 
simply packed in earth. He also finds that posts of 
what is termed the white cedar in western New-York, 
(the American arbor-vita;) last much longer when set 
green with the bark on, than if sawed and seasoned, 
which he attributes to the protection afforded by the 
durable bark, against the vicissitudes of rain and 
drouth, and the air and weather generally.* 
Now that, the season is approaching, best adapted 
for timber-cutting, as indicated in the preceding re¬ 
marks, we hope those interested will at least satisfy 
themselves on the subject by a fair and careful trial. 
* In ordinary instances, however, above ground, the hark 
by preventing seasoning, only accelerates decay. 
