Seasoning Boards

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!


On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.


A correspondent of the Building JVews recommends the piling of floor boards as illustrated in the accompanying diagram. Four long poles are planted in the ground, and the boards are placed at an angle against them as shown. By planting posts at short intervalle "between the corners many more boards can be stacked in the same space. This method gives a much freer circulation of air than the ordinary method, find consequently the drying proceeds with greater rapidity. Soiid and Electric Figures. ' What are termed sound figures may be produced in various ways. One way is to fix a plate of glass at its center with Burgundy pitch to an upright support on a stand, then to dust the plate with fine dry sand or other suitable powder, such as lycopodium. If now the plate be made to vibrate by drawing over its edge a violin bow, or some horse-hair tightly stretched from the two ends of a cane well rosined, the dust will in due time arrange itself into certain forms, lines, or figures. The same will occur by tying over a broad-mouthed glass or goblet with bladder that has been moistened and allowed to dry to a drum-like surface, and dusted with lycopodium or very fine sand, and then put upon a piano. Certain lines are soon visible after the instrument has been played upon, particularly when one chord only has been struck, so as to lessen the vibration. The blowing of a cornet, using one key, or the tuning of one note of any instrument, near the stretched membrane, will cause it to vibrate, and the dust to arrange itself into form. Thus these experiments clearly exhibit the effects of sound ; and by due study of the dust lines we may see what sound, one long passed, has been. A somewhat similar application of this experiment has recently been made by a German philosopher to the study oi the na-tureof electrical discharges between metallic conductors. It is found that when an electric discharge takes place between a horizontal plate of metal powdered with lycopodium, form-iig the positive pole, and a ball or point placed below it, the dust remains attached to the plate on a well-determined area.— e'ptimus Piesse. inrv mutt' Csood ider Vinegar, Take ten gallons of apple juice fresh from the press, and sufier it to ferment fully, which may be in about two weeks, or sooner if the weather is varm ; and then add eight gallons like juice, new, for producing a second fermentation ; in two weeks more add another like new quantity, for producing a third fermentation. This third fermentation is material. Now stop the bunghole with an empty bottle, with the neck downward, and expose it to tbe sun for some time. When the vinegar is come, draw off one half into a vinegar cask, and set it in a cool place above ground, for use when clear. With the other half in the first cask, proceed to make more vinegar in the same way. Thus one cask is to make in, the other to use from. When making the vinegar, let there be a moderate degree of heat, and free access of external air.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 21 Issue 24This article was published with the title “Seasoning Boards” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 21 No. 24 (), p. 373
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican12111869-373

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe