very injudicious to leave them without
braces; for the sake of having a front all
window, 2 spaces, at least 2 feet 6 inches
wide, should be left for braces; any unsightliness
may be easily hidden by a
pilaster in the centre of them; the absence of these braces has been felt in
the shops of Mr. Watkin and Mr. Pickett.
Timber being the principal material used
in building here, has induced the Commissioners to consider as part of their duties,
the testing of the various sorts of Australian
and New Zealand woods, in order to
show their comparative strength.

The specimens selected for the experiments,
were first split from straight grained
pieces, and then planed up to bare one
inch square, and cut into lengths of 2 ft.
2 in. long, the pieces were perfectly dry,
and had been seasoning for six months.
The ends of the specimens rested in a
notch 1 inch square; there being a clear
length or space of 2 feet for testing
them; an iron loop was made with the
upper end of it square, and just large
enough for one of these pieces of wood,
and the lower end rounded, in order not
to cut the cords which passed through it,
for the purpose of supporting the scale
which held the weight below, the iron
loop was then placed in the centre of one
of the specimens, and weights gradually
placed in the scale till it broke.

The results will speak for themselves
and may be depended on. The first
specimen of black birch taking 472 lbs.
to break it, excited some surprise, and,
as the Commissioners felt that it perhaps
might be a chance piece, stronger than
the ordinary timber of that kind, they
procured another specimen which broke
with 472½ lbs., thus, not only establishing
its reputation for strength, but its durability;
for the last-named piece was a
portion of a piece which had been in the
ground wet and dry for a period of ten
years, and is now there perfectly sound
and hard as a bone; of course it was the
heart of black birch, and, when split, had
that sour or acid smell so peculiar to
English oak—in fact it always has that
sour smell, and, for strength and durability,
appears to be the oak of New Zealand.

Two specimens of English oak
were tested some time ago in England;
one broke with a weight of 455 lbs., the
other with 482 lbs. The specimens were
2 feet long and 1 inch square. As to
the durability of these woods, blue gum,
iron bark, black birch, and totara, are
very durable where exposed to wet and
dry alternately. Red and white pine,
matai, Sydney cedar, kauri pine, and
stringy bark, are of very little use in wet
or damp situations, or where excluded
from the air, but, if kept dry and well
ventilated, will last a great many years.
One great cause of the decay of timber
is its not being cut at the proper season,
and when cut, not dried before used. All
trees for building purposes ought to be
cut down in winter, and have three
months drying before being used. Painting
unseasoned timber only hastens the
progress of decay.

New Zealand Woods.

The piece was brkn. by lbs.

White pine | Lowland grown (Hutt) | 232
White pine | Hill grown (Karori) | 267
Matai | Hill grown | 372
Matai | Lowland (Hutt) | 363
Red Pine | | 313
Totara | | 231
Totara | Second specimen | 238
Kauri pine | From the Prov. of Auckland | 250
Kauri pine | Second specimen | 258
Black birch | | 172
Black birch | Second specimen | 172½
A. birch | With a red grain | 392
Rata | | 116
Manuka | | 141

European Wood.

Yel. deal | From the Baltic | 288

Australian Woods.

Stringy brk. | | 410
Blue gum | | 443
Iron bark | | 450
Cedar | Average of 2 specimens | 190

In the act of breaking, the deflection
was least in totara and cedar, which are
the most brittle of all the specimens;
matai sustained a heavy weight, then
snapped suddenly; matai, white pine,
kauri, red pine, rata and stringy bark
stand next; iron bark, blue gum, manuka,
showed the greatest deflection, and
broke gradually; the strength and
toughness of the fibres of iron bark and
manuka was most surprising.

The Commissioners having thus far, to
the best of their judgment and ability,
collected and collated all the evidence
respecting the late earthquake, have now
to bring their labours to a close. In
doing so, they consider the present opportunity
an appropriate one for concluding
their report by making a few general re-
marks connected with the late earthquake.

Our fellow colonists in the other
Provinces of these islands, appear to have