But for almost all purposes wood has to be dried in order to be preserved.

The wood is cut up, when green, to as thin pieces as will be convenient for its use later, for the rate of drying depends largely upon the shape and size of the piece, an inch board drying more than four times as fast as a four inch plank, and more than twenty times as fast as a ten inch timber.
There are various methods of seasoning: (1) Natural or air-seasoning is the most common, and in some respects the best.

In this method, the wood is carefully and regularly piled in the seasoning-yard, so as to be protected as far as possible from sun and rain, but with air circulating freely on all sides of the boards, Fig.

47, see p.38.To accomplish this, "sticking" is employed, i.

e., strips of wood are placed crosswise close to the ends and at intervals between the boards.