CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



LETTEE 1 1 



Introduction. Questions as to tlie natural longevity and size 

 of trees. Footing on whicli these questions rest : twofold — 

 Istf that every tree is an individual or single plant ; and, 

 2ndly, that all living beings have a determinate duration 

 of life, and a determinate size of organism. Grood grounds 

 exist for believing that the latter assumption is well- 

 founded. On the supposition that the former is also well- 

 founded, nothing yet known as to the natural age or size of 

 trees. Doubts as to the validity of the assumption. Ques- 

 tion whether a tree is not in point of fact an aggregate of 

 individuals — a body corporate, — consisting, at midsummer, 

 of a collection of living yet perfectly distinct OMnual tree- 

 plants, the produce of the year, and of the dead remains of 

 a still larger number of individual plants of th e same species , 

 the produce of preceding years ; the living plants evolved 

 from huds and growing as parasites on the organic remains of 

 the dead plants. If this be the real nature of trees, there 

 will be no natural limit to their age or size. G-enealogical 

 tree. 



LETTER II 11 



Inquiry as to the extent of our knowledge regarding the natural 

 age and size of trees, on the assumption that every tree is 

 an individual plant. The popular belief; vague. Infor- 

 mation contained in systematic treatises on botany — by 

 Professor Balfour, M. Richard, M. De Candolle : its un- 



