XXXIX.] 
DESICCATING . 
3 21 
Duhamel considered that by setting timber upright it 
would season quicker, if not better, than if it were placed 
horizontally; it is, however, very difficult to do if dealing 
with large quantities, and is seldom practised. I rather 
doubt the efficacy of the plan. Fincham did not go 
quite so far, but experimented on timber placed upon 
frames set at an angle of about 30°, and it was found 
that it afforded no good results. The butt-ends dried 
far too quickly to allow the sap juices, which drained 
to the lower part, to evaporate; as a consequence, decay 
was rather accelerated than otherwise. 
Steaming or boiling unseasoned timber will fit it 
quickly for employment in architectural work, but it 
should only be resorted to in case of necessity, as 
it takes from its strength, and adds nothing to its dura¬ 
bility. 
Seasoning in chambers heated to a high temperature 
is practised to some extent on thin planks, boards, and 
other small and light material, but it cannot be carried 
out on timber of large scantlings, owing to the great 
weight and the difficulty there is in handling it; besides, 
the storage room required for any considerable quantity 
of it would be so enormous that it may be looked upon 
as next to impracticable. Very great care is necessary 
in drying boards by this desiccating process, the ends 
need always to be clamped to prevent them from splitting 
and warping, and they must be firmly secured by thin 
laths being placed between them. Ordinarily wood thus 
dried loses in strength, and in coloured woods there is 
this further drawback, that they generally pale and lose 
their lustre. 
A patent was taken out in France about the year 
r86i, by M. de Lapparent, Director of the French Dock¬ 
yards and Inspector of Timber for Naval Purposes, for 
