8 



feet in height, nevertheless these plants produce an abundance of 

 fruit. Sassafras, Pinus Virginiana, Quercus Prinus, Diospyros 

 and Oxydendrum, all appear in the same form and stature. The 

 common sour gum, Nyssa sylvatica, in like condition, exists on 

 King's Mountain, and a single shrub of Ilex opaca was found on 

 the uppermost cliffs of Crowder's Mountain. 



The normally shrubby plants appear more natural. Polycodium 

 stamineiim, Vaccinuwi vacillans and Quercus nana are common 

 to both peaks, while Kalmia latifolia, Rhododendron Catawbiense, 

 Gaylussacia frondosa, Gaylussacia resinosa and Batodendron ar- 

 bor eurn are species apparently confined to the top of King's 

 Mountain. Only two perennial or shrubby herbs, namely Galax 

 apliylla and Paronychia argyrocoma, exist on the summit of 

 King's Mountain, while the summit of Crowder's Mountain is 

 destitute of herbaceous vegetation with the exception of a fern 

 and a few sterile plants of some sedge. 



A SIMPLE DYNAMOMETER 



By H. M. Richards 



It is instructive to demonstrate that force is exerted by the 

 swelling of seeds previous to germination, or, for that matter, in the 

 imbibition of water by any substance capable of taking it up. A 

 very simple machine for registering approximately the amount of 

 energy involved, which perhaps may be dignified by the name of 

 a dynamometer, is found in one of the ordinary self-registering 

 letter scales which work by compression. A dish containing the 

 seeds is placed on the pan of the scale, and on top of them is laid 

 a cork, or better a glass plate, which just fits into the glass vessel 

 without binding. The whole is placed on a retort stand and a 

 stick, held firmly by a clamp, is placed against the glass plate. 

 Water is now poured on, and as it runs down among the seeds 

 they swell, and the glass cover being rigid the scale itself is de- 

 pressed as a result of the pressure. It is needless to say that the 

 weight of the dish, seeds, etc., must first be recorded. In this 

 way an idea of the amount of force exerted by a given weight of 



