II.] 



COMPUTING THE AGE OF. 



many as three or four layers are formed in those regions 

 in the same period of time. Relying, however, on the 

 generally recognised rule, of 

 one circle or layer for each 

 year's growth, we have a 

 measure and guide for com- 

 puting the age of a tree at 

 the time of felling it. Of 

 course, this can only be done 

 with trees having clearly de- 

 fined concentric circles ; in 

 the instances exceptional to 

 this, we, of necessity, have to 

 fall back upon historical or 

 traditional records to satisfy 

 our inquiries. 



It may be interesting here 

 to note the size and age 

 which some species of trees 

 attain. It is said that speci- 

 mens of the "Baobab" of 

 Senegal are more than 5,000 

 years old, and that some of 

 them have a girth of 90 feet. 

 Again, some cedars that were 

 seen in Lebanon in the six- 

 teenth century were consi- 

 dered to be the remains of 

 the forest from which the 

 timber was drawn to build 

 the temple of Solomon. By 

 tradition, and other reason- 

 ing, the age of these Cedars 

 was set down at about 3,000 years. Maundrell men- 



FIG. 6. 



