The Delaware register, or, Farmers', manufacturers' & mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1829, 1829-08-22
RISE AND FALL OF SAP IN TIMBER


diversity of opinion than the rise and fall of sap in
timber That there is sap in timber at certain sea-
sons, none Will be SO hardy to deny But how il
gets there is not so easily comprehended. That it ev-
er descends through the pores of the wood or between
the bark and the wood into the ROOTS and thence to
the earth, is fallacy-for were it to do So whence
would the tree derive its growth Would it not be
eft of the same size it before the sap flowed p
Manifestly IT would ! think it must be apparent to
any minute Observer that when the sap is in its fullest
state, the tree is larger than it was before the sap had
iowed and as the advances the sap coagulates
and forms one of those rings observable when log
of timber is cut sawed in two, and commonly de-
nominated the growth of the wood.
| That the sap rises at all | am not certain but
certain am, that it does not rise in all kinds of tim
her, Poplar, black-gum, water-wilow, and various
other Kinds IT they were feled in January, and the
trunk and boughs not separated in May, would be
found to have as much sap in them as the same kind
OF trees which had not been cut down, and actually
will yegetate and send forth shoots Now let me ask
how does this rise in tree which is separated from
its roots Lombarcy poplars, willows currants, and
variety of apples will vegeate and grow from slip
or switch of them stuck in the ground, without any
root at all. This being ndisputahle fact we must
conclude that they imbibe the sap from the atmos-
phere, and thai vegetation begins at the top of the
slip, and descends into the earth, and there those
buds which are covered with earth send forth roots,
whereas, if they had not been separated from their
parent stock, they would have put forth shoots and
leaves, and here 1T may be Observed that, in spring
the buds of trees which highest and most exposed
to the rays of the sun, are to vegetate first
Whereas if the sap from the ground the lowest
buds would be foremost in vegetation But the high
est buds negotiating FIRST is strong proof that the sap
instead of rising is inhaled from the surrounding at
mosphere and of necessity it must be the case with
those trees that vegetate after being severed from their
roots.
There has been much speculation in regard to the
most proper seasons for cutting timber, some are of
opinion that January and February are the months
most proper to cut timber, they say the sap is then
down, and the timber then harder than at any other
season OF the year, but this notion is founded in er
ror for the wood is then porous and brittle than
at any other time. To this every man who has been
IN the habit of splitting rails at different seasons of the
year, Will bear testimony and tell you that timber is
much tougher and harder to split when the sap runs
iul, than at the dead of winter but it is objected
that II you cut timber when the sap is up, the worm
VIII eat 1t In answer to the above objection beU
leave to state, that, whether you cut timber in the
winter or spring, both will be eat by worms at one
and the same time but the timber eaten in winter.
Will have little respite as the spring must commence
TO give life to the various flies which deposit their eggs
IN the TIMBER and after a short time hatch and pro
duce the worms which do so much injury to our tim
Der. ~
Now to preserve your timber from the worms. have
1t cut between the middle of April and last of Nav
and instantly have the bark all peeled off, that the SAP
on the outside of the timber may speedilv dry and