
          (229.)

Boletus lacrymans. Hist. 167.

Tearlike Boletus. Dry Rot.

This is the Plant vulgarly called Dry Rot.
when it gets into old Houses subject to damp, it
makes terrible havock in the wainscot in low
rooms, corrupting, and decomposing the substance
of the wood, nor is it possible to eradicate
it after it has once got possession.

Some year ago, a John Burleigh, Woodsman
in Norland near this place; in autumn <s>had</s>
had the stock of a Beech Tree sawn in two equal
halves from end to end.  It was about 16 Feet
long, and two in diameter, but finding it not
sufficiently fine & hard for his present purpose, it
was laid aside, theh two haves [halves] placed one upon the
other just in the same manner as before it was
sawn asunder:  Six months after, wanting it for some
other purpose, the two sides were found so firmly united together
that it required the greatest force of mallet and wedges to
separate them; when opened a lamina of this plant, resembling
sheeps skin, was found spread over every part of the whole internal surface.
        