Rhubarl.— Growth of Wood.—Junction of Trees.— Query. 959 
glue. 4. An oily matter, greenish and fixed. 5. A free or- 
ganic acid. 6. Uncrystallizable sugar. 7. Gum. 8. A fawn- 
colouring matter. 9. Wood.—Journal de Pharmacie. 
RHUBARB. 
A cultivator of Rhubarb on a large scale states, that the best 
means of drying it is to strip it of its epidermis. It is a long 
operation, but both time and expence are found saved in the 
end by the promptness and regularity of the drying. Several 
other persons, who have repeated the experiment, have met with 
the same results.— Biol. Phys. Econ. 
GROWTH OF WooD. 
It has been ascertained that wood increases in the following 
proportion ; the first year as 1, the second as 4, the third as 9, 
the fourth as 15, the fifth as 22, the sixth as 30, the seventh 
as 40, the eighth as 54, the ninth as 70, and the tenth as 92. 
From this itis concluded, that wood ought never to be cut till 
it is in the tenth year of its growth.— Biob. Phys. Econ. 
SINGULAR JUNCTION OF TWO TREES. 
In the forest of Rousse and commune of Simandre, near 
Bourg, in France, there are two beeches, which from an ex- 
traordinary junction are called the married pair. The trees are 
at the root about four metres (12 feet) distant; their greatest 
circumference is from twelve to sixteen decimetres, and the 
diameter of one is somewhat less thau that of the other. Both 
shoot up vertically, but at the height of three metres and half, 
(104 feet) the trunk of the one bends over, and, forming al- 
most. a right angle, projects itself horizontally into the trunk of 
the other tree, and becomes completely incorporated with it, 
without the least appearance of fracture or piecing. From this 
point the joint trunk rises eight or ten metres (24 or 30 feet), 
and it is crowned at the summit bya tuft of branches. The 
united trees present the exact figure of the letter h. The inferior 
part looks like a rustie triumphant arch.— Biol. Physico 
Economique. 
BOTANICAL QUERY. 
When all trees and even herbs point naturally towards the 
East, as to the source of light, how comes it that the Cedar of 
Lebanon should point towards the North? By what chemical 
cause, by what law of physiology, can this sort of transgres- 
sion of the natural laws of vegetation be explained ?— Biol. 
Phys. Econ. 
JI 2 EGYP- 
