O'I'TO, tlic iiivciitor of tlic ~wll-l;~io~vn Otto process for tlic stcrilisstioii of M. ivatcr by iiieniis of oxoiiisctl air hiis iiitroduccd n process wliicli iiiiilics use of tlic siiiiic :igent €or tlic nrtificial seasoning of ivootl C J I~ nil iIitlustria1 scale (Britisli ptcnts 126,S.iCi Tlic object of this proccss iy to obtiiili n 1ii;itcriiil possessing nll the clinrnctcristics of wood which lias been clrictl uiid sciisoiicd by tlic miturd method. Xiturd sciisoning proceeds w r y slowly

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... and, in cstrcinc cnscs, iiirist be ;illo\ved to cstciid orcr scrcral years, ~vlicrcns ttic Otto proccss produces similar rcsidts ivitliin n €cw wcc1;s. In fwslily cut wood tlic cells arc filled with snp consisting cliicfly of watcr, wliicli coiistitritcs about 40 per ccnt. of tlic totnl wiglit of tlic wood ; but, in addition, t h o s n p coiitiiiiis u large iiuiiibcr of coinples substtiiicrs, which niciy be clnssilicd iiito two iiiniii resembling starch in cotiiposit ion. (2) ltcsinifiiible siibstiinccs. In 1iatur;il scnsoiiiiig tlic wootl gradunlly loscs \v:itcr, the starchy substniiccs lire coiivcrtctl into sugars iiiid tlic rcsinifiiilh siibstniiccs ulidcrgo osidutioii to form solids. Only tlic ligiicous tissue of tlic wood remailis uniiltcrcd. Thcsc cliangcs arc ;iccompiinictl by griicluiil alteration in cstcriial form ; tlic wood sliriiiks, and, if tlic sciisoning proccss is irrcgihr, dibtortion iiiiiy nlso occurfor csiiiiiplc, ;L fliit surfiicc niiiy gratluully 1)cCOlnC uur\~cd. The tlisntl\~niitagcs of using incoiiiplctcly scnsoiictl wood in tlic wrious iirts iirc too wcll I;lio\\~i to need rcciipitulntioii ; if tlicsc tlisadvcuitagcs ;ire t o be nvoitlctl cnru must be tiiltcii oiily to employ ivoott wliicli hiis rcaclictl it coiiditioii of stnbility iis i~ result of the co~iiplctc ositlution of ccrtiiiu coiiipoiic~its of the ~c l l -~i p , This condition ctiii oiily Lo iittiiinctl with cstrciiic slotviicss, RS illiistriitcrl i)y tho fiict t1i;it ~voorl, wliicli Iins bceii csposc'rl to tho actioii of air for tlircc? y e~s , tctill coiitiiiiis uiicliiuigcd stiircli ciutt iiiiosidisctl resinous mutter. 111 ccrtuhi industries, for csmiplc, t lw itlid 133,WJ). groups :-( 1) Amylaccous substnnccs, closcly RULE iuanufiicturc of 11iaiios, it is iiot :it all uniisunl t o lcavc tlic \~ciotl to sciisoii in the air for a t \\'ootl left to SCnSoll in this iiiaiuicr nnturnlly rclwc-saits capital lying idle niitl ciitiiils clii\rgcs for storagc-spcc, etc., iiiost of wliicli iiiny he ;i\-oitlctl by adoptiiig a siiitcii)lc process of art ificid sc:iso~lhig. &At tlic prcseiit tiiiic tlic qiicstioli of incrcashg tlic rnto of scnsoniiig is p;irticiilorly iiiiportant owing to tlic fact tlint, (luring tlic war, tlic csisting stocks of sciisorirtl wood w r c conuuiiicd uliiiost coniplctcly : well-sciisoiicd timber is tlicrcforc scarce and iii iiia~iy cases sliortngc of ctipitnl rcndcrs it pmct ically impossible to coiitimic to rely 011 tlic natural iiictliod in bui!ding up lie\&' stoclrs. Scvcriil processes of nrt ificilil saisoniiig csist iilrciidy, but ilccortling to M. Otto, I~O I~C ! of tlicsc produces n imtcriiil which possesses the siiliio clinriictcristics :IS liiit ur:illy-sciisu1icd \~o d . TO rcducc thc llioistirrc-contait of wood to 10 per ccnt. by treating it with hot air, is n coiiipiirativcly siniplu process ; ;it tlic s111iic tiiiic \.cry fcjv of the p l i i i i t s ~iscd for this piirposc iirc rc~illy cflicicnt. \Yood, iiftcr trciitliiclit in this wiy, is ccrhinly tlrx, b u t if tlic tcmpcriiturc in tIic drying plant docs not cscccd CiO'C., nll tho above-mciitioncd compoiiuit s of tlic stip reiuahi in thc cells uiicliiuigcd ; subscqucntly ccrtniii of tlicsc coiiipoiients uiidcrgo slow osidation, wliicli is iiccompniiicd by coiitrnctioii in tho coiltcllts of tho cells ; cis n result tl1c \VOOd grntlually shrinks, just ;IS it \vould liavc doiic if i t Iiatl bcc~i cni1)logcd in tlic grccn state. 'l'ha stiircji, wliich still rcaioins uiioltcrcd hi tlic cells, iittriicts parasites elid gives rise to tlic foriiintioii of ~i i o u l t i ; iuoreorer, tlicsc uiicliiiiiged coni-IJoIlC'lltS of t lic crll-sap iirc distinctly Iiygroecopic, conscqucntly thc wood cibsorbs iiioisturc ngnhi froiii tho iiir. If tlic tcn~per;iturc of drying is raiscd with tlic object of tlccomposiiig tlieso superior. J t is truo tliiit in thcsc coiitlitioiis the org;iiiic coiiipoiiciits of the siip tire dcstroycil iiiir! clisiippcnr, hit tlic gciicr;il clkct is t o lciiru tlic cells ciirpty, thus rciirlcring tlic wood brittle n i i d lifclcxs. 1e:ist tell yeiirs bcforc IISC. substiilwcs t Iic rcsults iirc iiot \.cry greatly