Fire-stoves for drying the timber were placed in the magazine, bread-room, and other parts of the ‘Royal Charlotte’ ship; and the evil of this practice was soon shown, for the vessel became dry rotten in _twelve months_.[2] Wood sometimes undergoes a baking process for veneering. Fourcroy has recommended baking timber in an oven, and he has asserted that it would render timber more durable; “but,” says Boyden, “it should be subjected to a very strong heat, lest in endeavouring to prevent vegetation, we should give it birth.” Captain Shaw[3] observes: “Any artificial heating which burns the air is most injurious to wood and all combustible materials, and renders them much more inflammable than they would be if only exposed to the temperature of the atmosphere.” SEASONING BY SCORCHING AND CHARRING. Scorching and charring are good for preventing and destroying infection in timber, but have to be done slowly, and only to timber that is already thoroughly seasoned; otherwise, by incrusting the surface, the evaporation of any internal moisture is intercepted, and decay in the heart soon ensues; if done hastily, cracks are also caused on the surface, and which, receiving from the wood a moisture for which there is not a sufficient means of evaporation, renders it soon liable to decay. Charring has little or no control over internal corruption, though it is a good preventive against external infection: it increases the durability of dry, but promotes the decay of wet timber. Farmers very often resort to this method for the preservation of their fence-posts; the charring should extend a little above their contact with the ground. Unless they discriminate between green and unseasoned timber, these operations will prove injurious instead of beneficial. We have already quoted Sir Charles Barry in favour of _steaming_ wood; we now intend giving the opinion of a former pupil of his with regard to _charring_ it. Mr. George Vulliamy, architect to the Metropolitan Board of Works, in a specification for oak fencing which was fixed round the boundaries of Finsbury Park, London, in 1867, writes as follows:--“Dig out the ground for the upright standards where shall be directed, and fill in and ram round same with dry burnt earth, stones, and rubbish (the burnt clay will be provided); enclose the boundaries of Park, as shall be directed, with _dry and well-seasoned_ heart of English oak, _wrought_ upright standards, 6 inches by 5 inches, and 8 feet 6 inches total length, with cut and _splayed_ tops, holes drilled for oak pins, and mortised for horizontal rails, as shown on detailed drawings; to stand 5 feet 3 inches out of ground, and _the ends in ground to be well charred before fixing_.” (The italics are our own.)