convinced him that artificial pruning was an error, for as in these 

 cases the new wood blended iiuijerfectly with the wounded part, 

 leaving either a ca^dty or a loiot, calculated to spoil the timber; and 

 that such was not the case where pruning was the effect exclusively 

 of a natural process. This led to a discussion on the nature of 

 " adventitious buds," or buds produced otherwise than from the 

 axiUa 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 ascending axis of certain trees — those of the 

 willow and ash for instance, which have the power to produce 

 adventitious buds in abundance, as shown by the ready supply of 

 hop-poles from the branches produced by these buds. Youx presi ■ 

 dent 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 interesting fact — the distinction 'twixt the 

 ordinary leaf-bud and the adventitious one ; and then proceeded, 

 by the aid of diagrams, to compai'e the flower-bud with the leaf-bud, 

 and to show that each part of the flower is really 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 histoiy of their discovery in the Downton rocks. The Eev. 

 ]\j[r. 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 Lacey. 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 eventually some of them have taken root, and thus 

 become independent centres, if not detached trees ! There are now 

 about 18 of these branches, which from their peculiar spii-al growth 

 have a fantastic appearance, and cover a space of nearly 4000 square 

 yards ; in years past it was known to cover nearly 7000 yards ; 

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



