SPECIMENS OF THE TERMINAL SHOOTS OF A PINUS. 501 
Dr. Ricbardson referred to the re- 
mark of Humboldt, that in South Ame- 
rica the wheat crop was ripened in 
ninety days from the period of sowing, 
and stated, that about Hudson’s Bay 
this period was only seventy days. He 
suggested the probable advantage that 
might arise from importing seed from 
the latter country for the purpose of 
furthering Mr. Hall’s views ; but this 
gentleman stated, that he had found 
that seed imported from a distance (and 
he had tried some from Italy) was lia- 
ble to become diseased. — As connected 
with the subject of the acceleration of 
the growth of seeds. Professor Hens- 
low mentioned the results of experi- 
ments which he had tried upon seeds 
of a species of Acacia, sent by Sir John 
Herschell from the Cape of Good Hope, 
with directions that they should be 
steeped in boiling water before they 
were sown. Some of these were kept 
at the boiling temperature for three, 
six and fifteen minutes respectively, and 
had yet germinated very readily in the 
open border whilstthose which had not 
been steeped did not vegetate. It was 
suggested that these facts might lead to 
beneficial results, by showing agricul- 
turists that they may possibly be able 
to steep various seeds in water suffici- 
ently heated to destroy certain fungi or 
insects known to be destructive to them, 
without injuring the vital principle in 
the seed itself. — Mr. Hope mentioned 
a practice common in some parts of 
Spain, of baking corn to a certain ex- 
tent, by exposing it to a temperature 
150® or upwards, for the purpose of 
destroying an insect by which it was 
liable to be attacked. — Dr. Richardson 
mentioned, that the seeds sold in China 
for the European market, were previ- 
ously boiled lor the purpose of destroy- 
ing their vitality, as the jealousy of that 
people made them anxious to prevent 
their exportation in a state fitted for 
germination. Upon sowing these seeds 
he had. nevertheless, observed that 
some few of them were still capable of 
vegetating. 
Mr. Curtis exhibited some specimens 
of the terminal shoots of a Pinus, which 
had been attacked by the Hyluryus pini- 
perda and made a few remarks upon the 
habits of this insect. 
Dr. Daubeny communicated to the 
Section the partial results which he had 
obtained from a series of experiments 
he was carrying on at Oxford, respect 
ing the effects Which arsenic produces 
on vegetation. He was led to under- 
take these experiments from having 
received a communication from Mr. 
Davies Gilbert, in which he stated that 
there was a district in Cornwall where 
the soil contained a larj/e proportion of 
arsenic ; and that no plants could grow 
in it except some of the Leguminosae. 
By analysis, this soil yielded him about 
50 per cent, of arsenic, in the form of 
a sulpburet ; the rest being composed 
principally of sulphuret of iron and a 
little silica. He had already ascertain- 
ed that a little of the sulphuret mixed 
in soils produced no injurious effect on 
Sin apis alba, barley, or beans ; and that 
they flowered and seeded freely when 
grown in it. Although the want of so- 
lubility in the sulphuret might be 
assigned as a reason for its in- 
activity ; yet it was certainly taken 
up by water in small quantities, and 
imbibed by the roots of plants. 
Upon watering them with a solution 
of arsenious acid, he had found that 
they would bear it in larger proportions 
than was pre-supposed. The injurious 
efiPects of arsenious acid on vegetation 
in the neighbourhood of the copper- 
works of Bristol and Swansea was noti- 
ced by Mr. Rootsey; and Mr. Stevens 
mentioned the circumstance of the trout 
in some streams of Cornwall having 
been destroyed by the opening of some 
new mines in their neighbourhood, 
from which arsenical compounds were 
discharged, though the vegetation did 
not appear to be injured by them ; and 
it was further stated, that horses were 
considerably injured, and rendered sub- 
ject to a remarkable disease, by the 
effects of arsenical compounds in the 
same districts. 
Section E.-ANATOMY AND MEDICINE. 
Present Dr. Roget. 
Vice Presents Dr Bright, Dr . Macartney . 
Secretaries Dr . Symonds, G. D. Fripp, Esq, 
Committee— . o’Beirne, Dr Bernard, Dr. 
.lames Bernard, S. D. Broug'hton,Esq., R. 
Carmichael, Esq., Dr, Carson, Bracey Clarke 
Ksq , E Cock, Esq., .1. W. Cusack, Esq , H . 
Daniel. Esq , J. B. Estlin, Esq , Dr. Evan- 
son, W Hetling, Esq , Dr. Hodgkin, Dr. 
Houston, Dr Howell, Dr James Johnson, 
R. Keate, Esq , O King, Esq , Dr Prichard 
O. Rees, Esq, Dr. Riley, Richard Smith, 
Esq.,J. C. Swayne, Esq., N. Vye, Esq , 
Dr. Yellowley . 
Dr. Roget opened the business by a 
few words on the nature and objects of the 
Association, and then, for himself per-? 
