396 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



years of .age. The trees must be set in ground deeply and tliorouglily 

 tilhd. The tree will take every kind of graft ; budding seems best. The 

 best trees are grown from seed, and varieties arc obtained. 



The ancient olive tree, now or lately alive, measure, some of them, thirty 

 six feet in drcu inference ! Those on Monnt Olivet, are believed by many 

 learned observers, to have been there in the time of our Saviour. 



H. MEICtS. 



We quote the " Year Book of Facts in Science and Art," just received by 

 the Institute from London : 



THE GENETIC CYCLE IN ORGANIC NATUEE, BY D. G. OGILVIE. 



" Parental derivation, D. Ogilvie observes, is now generally allowed'as 

 the sole origin of organic beings ; and. the subject of discussion among 

 yhysiologists, is no longer the admissibility of spontaneous generation^ 

 but the nature of its derivation, as the case may be, from a single pair or 

 parent. The former mode of origin, by what was called " Gevimation,''^ 

 or the " budding process," plays a very conspicuous part in the propaga- 

 tion of many of the lower species ; and by its periodic recurrence, in con- 

 junction with the other form of reproduction, gives rise to the singular 

 phenomena, known as alternations of generations. Three stages are dis- 

 tinguished ij the Life-History, the protomorphic, (first form,) the ortho- 

 morphic, (right form,) and the gamomorphic, (marriage, sex, &c.,) the re- 

 'produclive or ga7is^ gevamskiiow maybe interpolated. As examples of the 

 former, the trematode and eystic entoroa were referred to in the animal 

 kingdom, and the mosses among plants, and let us examine. 



RESPIRATION OF PLANTS, BY M. TRAUBE. 



1st. Plants absorb oxygen not only during germination, but during every 

 period of their growth, even in sunlight. 



2d. It is absolutely necessary for them ; without it they perish. 



3d. The oxygen they absorb in darkness, is always converted by them 

 into carbonic acid. This also occurs in day, but is then difficult to detect, 

 owino- to its decomposition by the green parts of the plant. 



4th. They respire like animals, breathe out carbonic acid, and breathe in 

 oxygen. 



5th. They have no special organs of respiration. 



6th. The most important product of plant respiration is cellulose, the 

 result of a hydrated carburet, dextrive, glucose, &c. 



7th. The principle functions of respiration in plants is the organization 

 and elaboration of the nourishing sap, which depends on the presence of 

 cellulose, which is com-pletehj independent of solar light. Plants, like 

 animals, are developed in darlaiess ! 



8th. The vertical direction, seen in the developement of young plants, 

 also has no connexion with solar light. 



[Transactions of the Academy of Science, Berliii. 



Royal Agricultural Society of England, 1860, consists of 79 life govern- 

 ors, 128 annual governors, 933 life members, 4082 annual members, 18 



