u 



STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



H. E. Bulson, Jr. : White ash, like all other woods, is formed of concentric 

 layers of cells and vessels, and the strength of the wood depends largely 

 upon their compactness. 



The plates here exhibited, showing cross sections of two pieees of white ash 

 as seen under a compound microscope, furnish illustrations of the general dif- 

 ferences between good and bad wood of the same species. This plate (Fig. 16, 

 tough ash) represents cross sections of wood used by wagou and carriage man- 

 ufactories; the wood being used where great strength is needed. This plate 

 (Fig. 17, brash ash) represents cross sections of wood which they would gen- 

 erally declare worthless, except for very light purposes. It is evident from a 

 glance at these drawings that the good wood differs from the bad in: 1st. The 

 much smaller area occupied by the ducts or vessels. 2d. The smaller bore and 

 consequently thicker walls of the ducts and woody fibres. 3d. The much 

 greater annual growth. These are the elements which it is but reasonable to 

 suppose would give strength to the wood. 



Each plate represents a cross section from one piece of wood, showing the 

 growth in the spring and also in the fall. In the spring the wood grows rapidly 

 and the cells are larger, but in the fall they thicken up and become more com- 

 pact. The darkened portion of the plates is intended to represent the wood 

 cells, but their form and structure is not shown in detail. They are large 

 in the spring and thick and compact in the fall, like the vessels. The dark 

 lines running across the plates represent the broken portions of the medullary 

 rays, which are smooth and glossy and help, to some extent, to give strength to 

 the wood. These run from the bark of the tree to the center, or part way to 

 the center. The ducts and vessels are used to convey sap and other nutriment 

 for the support of the tree. 



Dr. Beal : So simple a thing as a grain of wheat may at first seem to be, 

 is a grain or fruit in which the single seed completely fills the ovary to which 

 it firmly adheres. A kernel of wheat is surrounded by six coverings, which con- 

 stitute what is called the bran. The subject is a difficult one to investigate, but 

 I am glad to call on one who has done his work well 



H. A. Knevels : The cells compos- 

 ing the outer coat of wheat run length- 

 wise of the grain and are about three 

 times as long as broad. The walls are 

 full of holes or thin places. The cells 

 of the second coat are a little larger and 

 also run lengthwise of the grain. They 

 adhere closely to the cells of the first 

 coat. The cells of the third coat run 

 around the grain instead of lengthwise 

 with the kernel. These cells are smaller 

 than those in either the first or second 

 coats. The fourth covering is the one 

 giving color to the grain, being white in "white 

 wheat. 



H A KNEVELS. 



Fig. 18. 

 wheat and darker in "red" 



