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of the leaf (the ordinary or normal source), as for instance from roots of some 

 trees-the elm, the cherry, and the acacia ; or from other parts of the ascendmg 

 axis of certain trees-those of the willow and ash for instance, which ha^'e the 

 power to produce adventitious buds in abundance, as she^v'n by the ready supply 

 of hop-poles from the branches produced by these buds. Your President took 

 occasion to remark that to the late Mr. Knight, of Downton, is due the merit of 

 first calling special attention to the elucidation of this most interestmg fact- 

 the distinction between the ordinary leaf-bud and the adventitious one ; and 

 then proceeded by the aid of diagrams, to compare the flower-bud with the leaf- 

 bud and to show that each part of the flower is reaUy a modification of a leaf, or 

 in other words, is made out of a leaf, and that the flower-bud in all important 

 respects is the analogue of the leaf-bud, but destined for a different object, and 

 a briefer existence. 



Mr. Cocking exhibited various specimens of Protaster, and gave a brief 

 history of their discovery in the Downton rocks. The Rev. J. Green gave a 

 description of a curious and nearly prostrate pear tree, well known as " the Big 

 Pear Tree," in the Vicarage garden of Holme Lacy. It is remarkable from the 

 circumstance of its slender and disproportionately long branches having extended 

 in all directions, and then become depressed, so as to reach the ground, where 

 eventuallv some of them have taken root, and thus become independent centres, 

 if not detached trees ! There are now about i8 of these branches, which from 

 their peculiar spiral growth have a fantastic appearance, and cover a space of 

 nearly 4 000 square yards ; in years past it was known to cover nearly 7,000 yards : 

 different occupiers, however, of the Vicarage, have cut away many of the hmbs 

 or centres. It has been said that 20 hogsheads of perry have been made m one 

 year from this tree. There is a similar but smaller and younger tree in a meadow 

 near evidentlv grafted from this one. The spreading and spiral tendency of the 

 branches is peculiar to the sort ; the rooting of prostrate branches of such mag- 

 nitude is perhaps without parallel in a pear tree, and worthy of recoid. 



Our last gathermg was at Shucknall Hill, Weston Beggard, selected for 

 exploring the precipitous upcast of Silurian rocks there, the " Old Red " in the 

 vale separating it on the south-east from the Woolhope elevation ; the '" Trap 

 Dyke near Hagley Park, Bartestrec, and the famed " Dome of Hagley," he to 

 the west of it. The route comprismg the opposite side of the vaUey was chosen 

 for the first meeting of the year. We commenced at Westhide. on the north 

 slope of Shucknall Hill, where we were hospitably entertained at the Vicarage 

 by the Rev. Henry Bulmer. Here a prodigious elm in his lawn gave occasion for 

 a discussion on the age of trees, and their powers of repairing injur.es. Much 

 of its centre or heart-wood was decayed and gone, but by extraordinary efforts 

 masses of new wood had found their way inwards, and in a fashion repaired the 

 loss by the formation of a spurious heart-wood. The party now made its way 

 over the Hill, visiting quarries open here and there, and finaUy to the abrupt 

 section that faces the south, and is so conspicuous from the Tarrington road, but 

 were not successful in obtaining new fossils. Next followed the " Trap Dyke ; 

 here a conical jet of Toadstone was traced through the Sandstone and Limestone, 



