50 ON STEMS. 



Emily. If, however, the inscription be made so deep' 

 as to penetrate the layers of wood, the new layers of bark, 

 instead of injuring, will preserve it. 



Caroline. But of what use will be its preservation, 

 whilst it is so buried as to be totally lost to the sight ? 



Mrs. B. Buried treasures are sometimes brought to 

 light. Adamson relates, that, in visiting Cape Verd in 

 the year 1748, he was struck by the venerable appear- 

 ance of a tree, 50 feet in circumference. He recollected 

 having read in some old voyages an account of an inscrip- 

 tion made in a tree thus situated. No traces of such an 

 inscription remained, but the position of the tree having 

 been accurately described, Adamson was induced to 

 search for it by cutting into the tree, when, to his great 

 satisfaction, he discovered the inscription entire, under 

 no less a covering than three hundred layers of wood. 



Caroline. Three hundred years, then, had elapsed 

 since the inscription had been made ! How much he 

 must have been gratified by the discovery ! But did not 

 his venerable tree suffer from such deep wounds ? 



Emily. Probably not : for according to the size of the 

 tree, though he cut so deep, he was still far distant from 

 the centre. 



Mrs. B. The centre is not the most dangerous part : 

 on the contrary, the vital part of the stem is situated be- 

 tween the young layers of wood and those of the bark ; 

 or perhaps the vitality may be exclusively confined to the 

 inner coat of the bark ; for if the young layer of wood be 

 destroyed by frost, the tree suffers but little ; whilst, if the 

 inner coat of bark be frozen, the plant infallibly perish- 

 es. In the trunk of a tree which has been cut down, it 

 is very easy to trace the effect of frost on any layer that 

 has been injured by it, the wood appearing withered and 

 wrinkled. Mr. De Candolle observed a frostbitten part 

 of this description in a tree cut down in the forest of 

 Fontainbleau in the year 1800 ; and, by counting the su- 

 perincumbent layers of wood, he ascertained that it must 



247. In what way can inscriptions on bark be so made as to be pre- 

 served without injury! 248. What facts are mentioned by Adamson 

 illustrative of the subject! 249. How long does Caroline infer that 

 this inscription had been made! 250. Where is the vital part of a 

 stem situated! 251. How is this shown! 252. What may be 

 learnt from the trunk of a tree that has been cut down? 253. What 

 is mentioned by Candolle of a tree in the forests in Fontainbleau. 



