348 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



Cruicksliank stated that durino' the week when the Charter 

 Oak at Hartford was prostrated, a similar event occurred to 

 an oak in Scotland under which the Scottish hero, Sir Will- 

 iam Wallace, had once taken refuge. The Rev. Dr. Muzzy 

 stated that the loss of old trees touches our patriotism, and 

 that the Washington Elm at Cambridge was even more 

 precious than the old elm on the Common. A number of 

 remarks Avere made as to the importance of caring for old 

 trees by cutting off long, dying limbs and encouraging the 

 vigorous buds. Transactions Jlassachicsetts Horticultural 

 Society, 1816, 84. 



ON" THE ACCLIMATIZATION OF PLANTS. 



Mr. G. F. Waters, in making some general remarks on ac- 

 climatizing plants, states that in Waterville, Maine, he had 

 developed a variety of the sweet-corn, which had been grown 

 in a rich soil, having a southeast exposure, abundantly shel- 

 tered from the north winds. In successive years its time of 

 ripening was, at first, the middle of October, next the middle 

 of September, next the middle of July, and the fourth year 

 the first of August. In five years it had, therefore, shortened 

 the period of growth from four and a half months to less 

 than two and a quarter months, and it had frequently been 

 gathered for the table in sixty days from planting, while the 

 ears had shrunk from sixteen to eight rows of kernels. 



In some experiments on potatoes, the freezing of the tubers 

 before they were dug, according to his experience, seemed to 

 shorten the period required for the maturity of the next gen- 

 eration. He therefore formulates a theory as follows: If to 

 the sun's influence there be added that of the autumn's frosts, 

 checking maturation, and holding the food elements of the 

 embryo where they are best fitted to be taken up in the 

 spring, then we shall have seeds which will germinate still 

 earlier, and as their plants will be longer under the accelerat- 

 ing influence of the increasing heat and light of the rays of 

 the sun, they will show better development than their pro- 

 genitors. From the discussion ensuing on the reading of 

 Mr. Waters' paper, we gather that the general experience of 

 the members of the society was not Avholly favorable to Mr. 

 Waters' theory ; Mr. Hovey and Mr. Wilder had both of 

 them but little faith in our ability to acclimate plants indig- 



