In preparing this treatise on Dry Rot, the author has endeavoured to place in as condensed a form as was consistent with the nature of the subject, the knowledge and information dispersed through a numerous collection of writers who have treated thereon; he has also availed himself of the assistance of professional friends, builders, timber-merchants, foremen and carpenters; and, by so doing, has been enabled to record several instances of the progress and cure of dry rot. He has consulted many valuable papers published during the last thirty years, in the various professional journals in England, America, France, and Germany, upon this important subject, and has also obtained much useful information from the works of Evelyn, Nicholson, Tredgold by Hurst, Papworth, Burnell, Blenkarn, and other English writers upon timber; Silloway, of North America; Porcher, of South America; Du Hamel, De Moray, and De Lapparent, of France; and several writers whose works will be referred to. It is many years since a separate and complete work on dry rot has been published, and those who are desirous of inquiring into the matter are frequently at a loss where to obtain any information. Existing works on the subject are out of print, and although they can be seen at a few professional institutes, they are beyond the reach of the general public. It has been the aim of the author in preparing this treatise to give a fair hearing to every patentee, and he has endeavoured to be as impartial as possible in recording instances of failure and success. If he has erred in any particular case, he will be happy, should this work reach a second edition, to make any necessary correction. The reader will probably find some things repeated in the course of the work; this is in many cases unavoidable, and in some advisable; for if by a little tautology important truths can be impressed upon the mind of the reader, the author will feel that his labour in preparing this work has not been altogether in vain. Modern authorities have been relied upon in preference to ancient ones: the following sentence, written by the late Sydney Smith, is quoted as a reason for so doing: “Those who come first (our ancestors) are the young people, and have the least experience. We have added to their experience the experience of many centuries; and, therefore, as far as experience goes, are wiser, and more capable of forming an opinion than they were.” 20, LIMES GROVE, LEWISHAM, _May 14th, 1875_. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. On the Nature and Properties of Timber Page 1 CHAPTER II. On the Gradual Rise and Development of Dry Rot 14 CHAPTER III. On Felling Timber 51 CHAPTER IV.