1866. ] and Botanical Congress. 458 
Professor De Candolle, Geneva: “ On a Recent very exact Mea- 
surement of the Diameter of the Trunk of one of the gigantic 
Sequoias of California.” M. De Candolle exhibited a strip of 
paper reaching nearly across the room, and in explanation said that 
it was an exact measurement, recently made by M. De la Rue and 
an assistant, of the diameter of one of the gigantic trees of Cali- 
fornia—that known as the “Old Maid.” The trunk of this tree 
had been broken off by a storm at a height of 128 feet, and its base 
now forms the floor of a dancing-room. M. De la Rue had mea- 
sured it in the following manner :—A slip of paper was stretched 
across the diameter of the trunk, and the annual rings were 
marked off by a pencil on the paper. This paper he now ex- 
hibited. The number of rings was counted by M. De la Rue and 
his assistant, one counting from the circumference to the centre, 
and the other from the centre to the circumference; 1,223 rings 
were counted in the one case, and 1,245 in the other. The mean 
of the two observations, which was no doubt nearly correct, gave 
the age of the tree as 1,254 years. The diameter of the tree, at the 
height of about six English feet from the ground, was 26 feet 
5 inches, and its entire height, before the upper part of the stem 
was broken off, was, approximately, 350 feet. The Sequoias grew 
very uniformly. ‘The lines on the slip would show that at the age 
of 400 or 500 years the annual rings were still thick, while, in 
ordinary trees, the layers became thin at from 80—120 years. 
This demonstration excited the most lively interest in the Con- 
gress. 
Very able and interesting papers were also read by Professor 
Karl Koch, of Berlin, “On Systematic Botany ;” Dr. Moore, of 
Glasnevin, “ On the Climate, Flora, and Crops of Ireland ; ” Professor 
Horren, of Liege, ‘On the Influence of Gaslight on Plants ;” and 
Mr. W. G. Smith, of London, “On the Corona of Narcissus.” The 
President then declared the Congress at an end; on which Mr. 
Bennett, of the British Museum, proposed, Dr. Daubeny, of 
Oxford, seconded, and Dr. Schultz Bipontinus, of Deidesheim, sup- 
ported, a vote of thanks to the President, and the meeting 
separated. 
The following are some of the papers forwarded to the com- 
mittee ; but as the time of the Congress was fully occupied with the 
reading of those already sent in, they were unavoidably excluded, 
but will probably be published at some future day. 
