404 [Assembly 



Wood is composed of fibres and juices; some trees have sap 

 vessels and others are deprived of them. The goodness of timber 

 . depends upon the nature of the soil and position ; that grown on 

 high mountains and places is more compact, harder and more 

 useful tlian that of swampy lands. On this account ship build- 

 ers prefer the timber of Macedonia to that of Eubea, although 

 the latter is much cheaper. Trees exposed to the north wind 

 are worth more than those exposed to south winds. Plants are 

 unequally distributed over the earth. Winds, birds and waves 

 transport seeds at a less or greater distance. Grain is particularly 

 liable to rust. Rye is subject to ergot. 



Such is the character of the works of Theophrastus. The 

 translation of them by Gaza is very inaccurate, and we must look 

 to the original. 



Extracts by Henry Meigs from " Exposition de la Doctrine 

 Botanique et du System de Physiologie Vegetale," of Theophras- 

 tus. By the Perpetual Secretary of ihe Liunsean Society of Paris. 

 Arsenne Thiebaut De Berneaud. Presented to the American 

 Institute by the late learned Samuel L. Mitchill. 



The chairman called upon Dr. Antisell to speak on the ques- 

 tion of the relative value of mineral manures. 



Dr. Antisell observed that he would have been better pleased 

 to hear from prof. Mapes, who had proposed the question. But, 

 said he, I will state briefly what seems to be the latest and best 

 information. Liebig first began to make analysis of plants with 

 a view to the exact determination of the constituents of them as 

 respects their mineral or inorganic parts. He decided therefore 

 from such analysis of wheat what the constitution of the mine- 

 ral parts of a soil must be in order to grow wheat; so of other 

 vegetables. He supj osed that he had succeeded in making arti- 

 ficial manure adapted to supply the elements found wanting in a 

 soil. He made large quantities and farmers bought extensively. 

 It proved to be a total failure when well tried. Other distin- 

 guished chemists following him, tried such preparations and also 

 failed. Low, Dr. Gilbert, &c., stated that the organic manures, 

 were but secondary to the inorganic or mineral constituents. 



