Relation of Annual Rings to Age. 



169 



BRA>'CHE8. 



(In length) 



Years 



Growth. 



Iliiigs we] 

 defined. 



Rings 

 poorly 

 defined. 



Total 



Kings. 



No. 1 



28 

 16 

 15 

 18 

 29 

 31 

 18 



24 

 16 



15 



18 



'is' 



.... 



24 



No. 2 



16 



No. 3 



15 



No. 4 



18 



No. 5 





No. 6 





No. 7 



18 







Totals 



155 



91 





91 



Of these, three showed a fairly close correspondence between 

 thickness of rings and length of shoot for the same year. The 

 figures of the first table show that of the thirteen examinations 

 made, the following is the general summary of results: — 



13 



Whole number of examinations 



Rings equal to age 



Kings exceed the age 



Kings less than age 



Totals 



38.4% 

 30.8% 

 30.8% 



100.00 



And, if we combine the results of the two, then we obtain as 



follows : — 



"Whole number of examinations 



Kings equal to age 



Rings exceed the age 



Rings less than ase 



20 

 9 

 4 



45.% 

 20.% 

 35.% 



Totals 20 100.00 



In most, if not all, of the cases in which the number of rings- 

 was found to exceed the age, this appeared to arise from the 

 development of secondary rings, in which, while structurally 

 defined, the definition was generally much less distinct than in 

 the primary rings. Indeed they usually have the appearance of 

 being strangers, and of having been produced by unusual causes. 



The results show, however, that the probabilities are strongest 

 in favor of correspondence between age and the rings of growth, 

 and that while these latter may, and often do, exceed the former, 

 there is greater probability of their being less, through want of 

 structural definition. 



We have next to consider the relation between rings and 

 the meteorology for the corresponding year. It is first of all 



