98 American Ilorticit/furn/ Society. 



Mr. Buck, of California — Special mention should be made of 

 the redwood forests of this state in a separate resohition. It is not 

 best to endan<;er the resolutions by any special amendments. 



Dr. Ridpaih, of Indiana — We made the report short so as not 

 to create dissensions. 



Mr. Edee, of Califoniia — I wish to add the following amend- 

 ment, and move its adoption : 



Resolved, That Congress is further requested to create a special forest reserve 

 in the far-famed redwood districts of California. [See resolutions.] 



Mr. Buck — Most of the redwood forests are now individual 

 property. Congress can, therefore, do notiiing in this matter. 



Mr. Pryal, of California — Forestry is profitable in Europe, and 

 will be here eventually. Some landlords there require two trees to 

 be planted to one that is cut down. 



The resolutions as amended were adopted. 



Prof. Lemmon, being called upon, read the following paper: 



THE PALMS. 



A PHYSIOGNOMIC SKETCH. 

 BY JOSEPH ALBRECHT, M. D., OF LOUISIANA. 



The plant vesture of the earth has peculiar beauties and characteristic 

 form.s in every zone. In the tropics these impose by their grandeur and 

 abundance, by their unbounded wealth of grace of forms and of fragrance, 

 by their perennial growth, by the never-ceasing power with which leaf, 

 flower and fruit throng in continuous succession without ever-pausing de- 

 velopment. 



More modest is the vegetation of the temperate zone. Yet this is not 

 without splendor and variety ; and what lack she shows in continuous power 

 of reproduction, as compared with her sister troj)ical zone, she compensates 

 by the changes which she displays with the varying seasons. 



If, linally, we direct our regards to the polar zone, we meet there, also, a 

 rich plant life, strongly diminished and variously stunted in its form, indeed, 

 but, nevertheless, furnishing striking evidence of the never-resting creative 

 power of nature. 



In the tropics— that climate which our fant;iay paints so vividly as the 

 cradle of the human race — none of the manifold forms of plants we meet is 

 80 peculiar and characteristic as that of the palms. I will endeavor to bring 



