I was reading "The Ten Books of Architecture" by Vitruvius and I found some interesting stuff that made be post on this topic. Vitruvius was alive and well in the 1st century BC. No chemistry and molecular levels here. Pretty cool book in that it describes buildings before all of our modern technological "advances". He is describing hardwoods I believe.

First he states that "Timber should be felled between early Autumn and the time when Favonius begins to blow (you must keep a dictionary around when reading the works of pagans). For in spring all trees become pregnant, and they are employing their natural vigour in the production of leaves." He then goes on to compare a tree in the spring to a pregnant women. And how trees and women are not as strong (physically) when bearing offspring. Crazy guy. All the same conclusions right?

Now what do you all think of this?

"In felling a tree we should cut into the trunk of it to the very heart, and then leave it standing so that the sap may drain out drop by drop throughout the whole of it. In this way the use-less liquid which is within will run out through the sapwood instead of having it die in a mass of decay, thus spoiling the quality of the timber. Then and not till then, the tree being drained dry and the sap no longer dripping, let it be felled and it will be in the highest state of usefulness".