A new Dendrometer. 9 



tainty either as to magnitude or elevation glides across the 

 mind ; when the question occurs, How tall may that tree be ? 

 or what are its solid contents ? To the mere sentimentalist this 

 consideration will appear of trifling import; to him it is suffi- 

 cient to contemplate nature in her most striking features, with- 

 out descending to minute detail : but those who combine the 

 dulce with the utile will receive additional pleasure, by acquir- 

 ing a knowledge of these particulars connected with the object 

 of their admiration. 



At a period when landscape gardening is becoming a fashion- 

 able science, a dendrometer, that will give, with mathematical 

 accuracy, and with as little trouble as may be, the elevation 

 and contents of a growing tree, will, I should suppose, be an 

 agreeable accompaniment to those who delight in woodland 

 scenery, and useful to such as may have an interest in ascer- 

 taining the value of growing timber. I am aware that several 

 dendrometers have already been constructed : two are figured 

 and described in the Encyclopaedia of Gardening; of their 

 merits or demerits I will not at present stop to take notice. 

 The circumstance of my writing this communication is a proof 

 that I, at least, think the one I am about to describe superior 

 to either. Aware, however, of the fond partiality with which 

 every inventor is apt to view the child of his own fancy, I 

 shall leave it with the readers of the Gardener's Magazine 

 to attach to it that degree of merit to which they may think 

 it entitled, when they have glanced over the following descrip- 

 tion and accompanying tables and figures. 



The instrument, as will appear from the prefixed sketch 

 [Jig. 3.), is composed of a table, a slider, and quadrant, made 



