274 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Sept. 
GREEN WOOD AND DRY. 
We have been favored with another communication 
on this subject from our friend J. Townsend, of Zanes¬ 
ville. But, as it is long, and perhaps inappropriate at 
the present time, we conclude to omit its publication, 
and we doubt not our correspondent would approve of 
this at least in part, were he to read,over again, care¬ 
fully, his remarks. We may, however, state that the 
principal point he urges—his chief argument against 
the correctness of the calculations of T. referred to, 
consists solely in a proposed experiment. By this pro¬ 
posed experiment, he expects it will be shown that a 
great deal of inflammable matter is driven off in the 
evaporated sap from green wood, which is thus injured 
in quality. Actual and carefully conducted experi¬ 
ments must decide such conjectured results. 
We also give below, a communication from J. R. 
W. It may perhaps excite surprise that there is so 
much discrepancy in his results and those obtained by 
the calculations of T. This discrepancy is owing to 
two causes. First. A different mode of computing. 
The calculations of T. were based on the measurement 
of the old English, gallon of 231 cubic inches, and the 
barrel of 32 gallons; while those of J. R. W. take the 
new or imperial gallon, as established by the British 
parliament, which contains 277 cubic inches, and the 
barrel of £6 gallons. These would make a difference 
of nearly one third in the amount. Secondly. He as¬ 
sumes that the specific gravity of green hard wood, is 
0.755, that of water being 1.000. If he has taken 
this specific gravity from the distinguished authorities 
he cites, he is led into error probably by their figures 
applying to dry wood while he understands it to apply 
to green. Most kinds of dry hard wood, after season¬ 
ing, have been found to be about three-quarters as 
heavy as water; and while green, unless containing a 
large portion of heart wood, is scarcely any heavier than 
water. The smaller branches of green beech in most 
cases, immediately sink in water. Some kinds of green 
wood are lighter than water; and so far as the calcu¬ 
lations of T. apply to such, he was in error, and no 
farther; but in most cases this error would be exceed¬ 
ingly small, and often nothing. So far, also, as the Im¬ 
perial British gallon, and the barrel of the act of par¬ 
liament, is to be preferred tp the old gallon and barrel, 
T. was in error, but no farther. 
The argument of J. R. W. that wood does not lose 
11 a third of its bulk,” and consequently, does not lose 
a third of its weight, appears to be based on the suppo¬ 
sition that it never alters in specific gravity, which is 
quite an error—a sponge may lose three-quarters of 
its weight of absorbed water, and retain its original 
size. 
J. R. W. erroneously supposes that T. intended to 
expel all the water of wood by seasoning—such a 
thing was never thought of. In the experiments made 
by T., the decrease in weight by seasoning was more 
than one-third; hence he considered it safe for ordinary 
cases to assume one-tliird merely. 
Experiments and calculations of this kind, must 
as a matter of course, vary in results. Wood varies 
in specific gravity—in the compactness of the cord— 
in the degree of seasoning—and a variation in the 
measures employed, will alter the amount. A cord of 
wood consisting of small crooked branches, may have 
two-thirds of interstices—or a cord of very straight 
large wood, may not have a quarter of interstices. 
In the latter case, a still greater amount of water 
would exist than the six barrels given in the estimates 
of T. 
Messrs. Editors —Though by no means desirous 
of backing J. Townsend’s observations on the commu¬ 
nication signed T., respecting the merits of dry wood, 
—still, T. asserts what I have no doubt he will admit, 
is an error, in sayiug that a cord of green wood con¬ 
tains “ more than six barrels of water,” and now then 
to the proof. 
In the first place, I am willing to admit that wood 
when fresh cut, contains one-third of water, by weight, 
and also that a common cord of fuel wood contains 77 
solid feet; but T. has proceeded to make his calcula¬ 
tions by measure, which is not just the thing to do, 
seeing that wood does not lose in drying a third part 
of its bulk. The object is to find the weight of these 
77 cubic feet, then to take a third part of that weight 
of water, and find out how many barrels it affords. 
Now, taking maple wood as the mean between birch 
and beech, it will be found to weigh three-fourths of 
water, the specific gravity of maple being 0.755, 
whilst water is 1.000. A cubic foot of water weigh¬ 
ing 62 lbs. and a fraction, three-fourths of this would 
be 46^ lbs. for a cubic foot of maple wpod, which mul¬ 
tiplied by 77, the number of feet in one cord, gives 
3,580^ lbs. as the weight of a cord of ordinary green 
wood. We must then take one-third of 3,580 as the 
weight of water contained in it, which is 1,193 lbs., 
and dividing this by 10, the number - of pounds (omit 
ting fractions,) which a gallon of water, beer mea¬ 
sure, weighs, we have 119 gallons, which again divided 
by 36, the number in a barrel, gives 3 barrels and 11 
gallons as the amount instead of over six. as stated. 
Your correspondent T. is equally in error, when he 
says that the teamster, drawing 100 cords of green 
wood, draws 600 barrels of water (but which, as 
shown above, are only 330 barrels 30 gallons,) which 
he need not have done had the wood been cleft a year 
in advance. 
Wood that has been cut and corded for twelve 
months, but exposed to the rain and damp atmosphere 
of the forest still retains from twenty to twenty-five 
per cent, of moisture. Suppose we allow twenty-two, 
having called the original quantity one-third, or thirty- 
three per cent., so that he would still carry 220 bbls. 
14 gallons. Nor would the fuel, even if placed in a 
well boarded shed for a year longer, part with all the 
moisture, but even then retain nearly 11 per cent.) or 
110.7 of water—charcoal having been found to absorb 
that quantity from the atmosphere, after a few months’ 
exposure under a shed. 
Wood can no doubt be rendered quite dry by artifi¬ 
cial heat, carried to the commencement of charring, 
but its power as a fuel is thereby' impaired, and it must 
be well varnished to keep it so-^so that even your¬ 
selves, Messrs. Editors, with your well arranged hot 
air stove, and dry wood, must be content to evaporate 
your barrel and odd gallons per cord. 
I might go on to show T.’s errors, also, as regards 
the loss of heat in open fire-places, but it is getting 
rather late in the spring for such warm calculations, 
and I have already trespassed too long, and must con¬ 
clude, with a desire, if any gentleman, with a superior 
lot of very dry firewood doubts his share in this gene¬ 
ral evaporation, let him, some clear frosty morning, 
having first made a jolly fire of his best wood, don his 
