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CONVERSION OF WooD INTO IRoS.-Wc
lind in tie New FORK Farmer and Mechan-
&c that the conversion of wood into Iron
and Stone for railroad purposes, is exciting
much interest in England. Ii the cApcn-
ment bears the test o. thorough trial, il vii.
add immensely to the facility of construct
ing railroads. We hope the engineers or
those concerned in the building oi roads
viii not delay III testing the value OF this
lew discovery. 1he following extract "a
letter of Professor Wright dated London,
.ule, 1884, and published in the Boston
Chronicle of july I,tI, viii show Low the
matter is regurued by intelligent men in
England.


"A gool deal is lately said about wood,
and a patent has been taken out ior con-
rerting 1t into iron; 1 should rather say
stone, by means OF Iron. This metaii.ed
or rather tosiiI<ed Wool has been used ia
constructing the Dover railway, and II real
" seems 10 have the properties ot stone
and iron. Rails OF 1t iaid down al Naux-
hail; ior experiment., endured travel equal
10 that of a year on the most thronged raul
way, without any percePIDlc wear, not even
the saw marks oi the timber beng removed.
1t is supposed thai TIMBER thus prepared viii
not be subject To rot or decay oi any kind.
This, time will test,-Ii TINS prove true,
the invention will be Of immense impor
lance to the United States where timber j.
yet pientIer, and iron scarcer than here.
The process OF preparing timber IL simply
this, the pieces, after having been iitted by
the carpenter, OF joiner tor their places, are
introduced into an immense iron cylinder.
which is then exhausted By an air pump. "A
solution of sulphate Of iron Is then in, ,ecied
which immediately enters inio the exhaust
ted pores of the wood. The wood is then
Withdrawn. and again placed into a similar
vacuum in a solution Of muriafe Of lime
which coming in contact with the sulphaic
OF iron within the wood, decomposes il, and
forms an insuluble sui lphate OF lime or gyp-
sum, within the wood: and the muria,e q
iron, the other new compound goes about
ITS business. SO the wood becomes tho
roughly impregnated with stone, as hard a.
rock. and yet as tough as it was before.
The expense of preparing 2000 sleepers,
enough for a mile of railway, j. said not Il
exceed $500. Some Of the greatest cngi-
ncers have expressed their confidence IN
the invention, and the process is employed
ON many of the government works. What
an invention for our Mississippi Valley.
Railways built of light porous wood thc
more porous the better, probably: may, ioI
less than thousand dollars per miie, be
converted into roads nearly, if not quite as
durable as iron.