72 



that they will not live to see the trees become ornamental to 

 their estates, far less to reap any benefit from them. Evelyn, 

 in his Sylva," mentions a story of Maximilian the Second, 

 who, finding an old man setting date trees, asked him what his 

 meaning was, in planting a tree which required so many years 

 before it bore fruit? Sire," replied the old man, " I have 

 " children, and they may have more come after them." 



Thos. Sopwith, Esq., F.G.S., exhibited a model of the 

 strata near the coal and iron works at Ebbw-vale, Monmouth- 

 shire, the property of Messrs. Harford, Davis, and Co., 

 in which the workings of the successive beds were accu- 

 rately laid down, and could be inspected with the greatest 

 ease. 



Dr. BucKLAND said that whoever saw such a model as 

 this, could not fail to understand the nature of a coal field. 

 Now that we had the means, it would be a sin on the part of 

 the nation to neglect the opportunity thus afforded for making 

 an accurate register of the state of our mining districts. If 

 such registers had been kept of ancient workings in the 

 principal coal-fields of England, they would have been the 

 means of preserving the lives of hundreds of miners, and 

 have prevented the loss of an immense amount of property. 

 Before sitting down he begged to move the thanks of the 

 meeting to the authors of the Papers, and to Mr. Sopwith 

 for his explanation of the model. 



Sir Francis Lindley Wood seconded the motion, which 

 was carried unanimously. 



The thanks of the meeting were then given to Earl Fitz- 

 william for his kindness in taking the chair. 



