BOTANICAL GAZETTE. «7 



I 



While peeling the bark from a l.eshly cut itlack locust post, T noticed that the 

 cambium layer smelled precisely like bruised green beans. The scent was recognized 

 by several others without ray telling them what I had observed. I have not yet tested 

 further whether this novel way ot tracing the aftinily of plants may l)e made useful or 

 not. — J. ]M. Mii.LiGAN, JtirksoiiKillc, III 



When in Crawfordsville, Ind., a few weeks ago, I was pleased to tind in the grounds 

 of Prof. \\m. C. White, some beautiful plants of Euphorbia dmfata. They had neither 

 been planted there nor escaped from elsewhere, but evidently were relics of tiie old 

 times when the forest in all that region was unbroken. — J. M. C. 



JuNiPEKUs occit)p:ntalis in (;oi.okado.— Since my arrival at this Agency, ray at 

 tention has been drawn to the Juniper which, mixed with Piims edidis, covers the mesas 

 and foot liills throughout this part of S. W. Colorado. lis botanical character seemed 

 to be so distinct from ./. Yirgiituiim, that I at once thought it to be J. orndentulis. with 

 the description of which, in (Marence King's Report on the Botany of the 40th paral- 

 lel, it seems to agree perfectly. But he says "not reported frora Colorado." Neither is 

 it spoken of in Hayden's Synopsis of the Colorado Flora, 1874. The exploring parties 

 since then may have discovered and published its occurrence here. The tree rarely 

 becomes conical like ,/. VirginiituK, the fruit always glaucous, and two or three times 

 as large as the fruit of tiiat species. Heart wood usually lirown, rarely red. fieight 

 12-20 feet. Branches wide spread.— Wilt,iam F. Flint, /.».■< Pi/ms, J ndimi Agenry. 

 Coltiriido. 



Thk Big Trees, by J. G. Lemmon.— In 1875, I took a trip of 400 miles to revisit 

 the Big Trees, count their rings and bring away sprays, cones, seeds, bark and wood 

 sections for the Centennial. I visited several groves, closely examined hundreds of 

 trees, especially giving attention to the fallen and shattered monsters, generally larger 

 than living trees of the same grove. 



The great Seqnrnas are monsters indeed for size and magnilicent in tlieir columnar 

 appearance; they are well worthy a trip across the continent to Ijchold, but why exag- 

 gerate their age? The truth is strange enough. "Over-statement," Dr. Gray raildly 

 puts it. It IS, indeed, a wonderful deviation frora the truth when to large figures we 

 add double their sum. Frora this time forward I must help tight the "over-statement." 

 The battle will be long and fierce, no doul)t, for the story of 3,000 or 4,000 years is very 

 proudly related and never fails to excite interest; and it is repeated in nearly every 

 guide liook for tourists, moreover reiterated by eminent travelers and close olxservers, 

 "including John Muir, than whom none gives us such charming views of mountain 

 scenerj', such picturesque forest studies. But let the truth always be told, searching for 

 it, if need be, under the most dect-iitive jippearances. I scold myself daily because, for 

 want ()f time, I took the figures of reputed authoritu^s and gave currency to the big 

 stor}' of tiie Big Trees. Let me retract so much of last j-ear's "Scene 11, The Big 

 Trees," as was carelessly based upon their reported great age of ;),000 or 4,000 years, 

 and substitute the following cold facts and estimates. I substitute the true figures 

 cheerfully, gladly, triumphantly. The big trees are but 1,200 to l,r)00 years old, and I 

 am glad they are not older. There is jiroud satisfaction in the thought, but let me re- 

 press mj'' joy and its reason for the pi'C'cnt ami innceed with the cool facts. 



On the 1st of September, 1875, I arrived at the famous Mammoth Grove of Big 

 Trees in -Calaveras county, and at once commenced careful observations. 



First, a ((uiet, reverential walk among the tall flutetl columns, ray spirit dumb with 

 wonder, my mind raised to sublime conceptions, my reason almost persuaded that any 

 large story of the great ,SVr/?/«m.'< must be true. Hound and round, in and out among 

 the vast trunks the well-worn ])ath leads. Here and there a long fiight of steps enables 

 the visitor to reach the upper side of the falhii trunks, where a most impressive view 



