393 [Assembly 



PLANTS OF ANTIQUITY COMPARED WITH THE MODERN. 



Herculanenm, Pompeii and Stabia have been buried about 

 1,700 years. Their sites were unknown until the seventeenth 

 century. Pictures of plants and the actual remains of some have 

 been discovered in these entombed cities. Many of the p^nts, 

 however, did not grow there — for the paintings represent the 

 marshy lands of Egypt — with the Nelumbium, our Victoria Re- 

 gia ; Date Palms, the Stone Pine, and the Cypress of Italy are 

 painted here — carbonized seeds of it. Pine Corns, Aleppo Pine 

 were found here. The modern Oleander and the Joy were in 

 Pompeii. No Aloe — no Ficus Indica are there — for Europe did 

 not see them till after the discovery of America. The Dwarf 

 Palm, there is the same. The Theophrastus describes it 2,100 

 years ago, as being very general in Sicily then — and it is so now — 

 but is scarce in the vicinity of Naples. Wheat and barley are 

 there in a charred state. There is a fine picture on a wall iij 

 Pompeii, representing a quail pecking at a spike of barley — and 

 a side picture to this represents a quail pecking at a spike of mil- 

 let. We miss here the Maize, (Indian Corn,) we owe it to Amer- 

 ica. Nor do we meet with Rice here. In that time, when Pom- 

 peii was alive, it was confined to the East Indies. A bundle of 

 asparagus is painted there, onion, radishes, turnips, and a small 

 gourd. The olive~a glass jar containing preserved olives has 

 been found there, which retained their t!avor when first found. 

 Figs and grapes abound in the fruit pieces there. Pears, apples, 

 cherries, almonds, plums, peaches, medlars, pomegranates. No 

 orange, lemon or citron there. 



Botany , by Balfonr, London, 1851. 



SIZE AND AGE OF TREES. 



Forest trees in France, reach a height of 120 to 130 feet. 



do in America 1 50 " 



do do note, by H. Meigs, over 300 " 



Some Baobabs are in girth 90 " 



The Dracaena of the Canaries 40 '^ 



An Acer, (maple,) in south Carolina 62 " 



In France some trees are In girth 25 to 30 " 



