No. 216] 645 



that of Spain, from sheep called Zoar, that the wool of these resem- 

 ble Beaver far more than wool. That the natives make shawls of 

 it a yard and a half long, which sell for more than ninety dollars 

 «ach. 



L'Abbe Raynal says that they manufacture turbans of it, for the 

 Omrahs and other Grandees, of a yard in width, and somewhat more 

 than three yards long, which sell from $500 to ^750 apiece. 



H. Meigs also presented the following: 



Lin lley's Vegetable Kingdom, London 1846, from which we make 

 the following extracts. 



The locust trees of the West have been celebrated for their gigan- 

 tic stature, another species are the Cossi, of the South American 

 forests. Martius represents a scene in Brazil, where some trees of 

 this kind occurred of such enormous dimensions that fifteen Indians 

 with outstretched arms could only embrace one of them. At the 

 bottom they were 84 feet in circumference, and 60 feet where the 

 boles became cylindrical. By counting the concentric rings of such 

 parts as were accessible, he arrived at the conclusion that they were 

 of the age of Homer, and 332 years old in the days of Pythagoras; 

 one estimate reduced their antiquity to 2051, while another carried 

 it up to 4104. 



Dr. Pierson, of Orange, N. J., presented seeds of the fine Arkansa 

 water melon, a globular large rich melon, close texture, flesh straw 

 colored. 



Franklin Knight, of Philadelphia, presented to the Institute a 

 copy of his last edition of the Farmer's Souvenir, and Washington's 

 Agricultural Correspondence, a book which no farmer should be 

 without, for the perusal of it will elevate all its readers. 



Mr. Knight, authorizes the Secretary of the Club to present, in his 

 name, a copy to the Royal and Central Soaiety of Agriculture of 

 France. 



Charles Henry Hall. The following note from him on the Isabella 

 grape vine was read. 



To Mr. Meigs. A late traveller in France, obtained cuttings of 

 grapes lor England, of Messrs. Audibort Freres, of Tonelle, near 



