magazine of science and art. 
211 
think that this important stop is fraught with con¬ 
sequences affecting the promoton of science, and ex¬ 
tending far beyond the external and obvious advan¬ 
tages which it insures to the scientific Soceities more 
immediately benefited. 
Another mode in which this Association has materi¬ 
ally aided in the advancement of Science is through the 
instrumentality of its observatory at Kew The objects 
which are at present attained by that important estab¬ 
lishment are, the trial and improvement of instrumental 
methods, and especially of those connected with tho 
photographic registration of natural phenomena; the 
verification of meteorological instruments, and the 
construction^ standard barometers and thermometers 
the supervision of apparatus to be eployed by scientific 
travellers, and the instruction of the observers in their 
use; and lastly, the conduct of special experimental 
researches, undertaken by Members of tho Association 
at its request. In all these various ways, the labours 
oftheKew Observatoryhave ended, in no small degree, 
to the advancement of the science of observation and 
experiment in this country ; nnd the result is due, not 
only to the sagacity of the Committee under whose ma¬ 
nagement it is placed, but also, and eminently, to the 
zeal and talents of Mr. Welsh, the gentleman who has 
the immediate charge of the establishment. 
There is but onev other topic connected With the 
administration of the Association to which ] feel it 
necessary to invite your attention before I conclude 
—I mean the change which has been made in the con¬ 
stitution of one of tho Sections, and which will come 
into operation at tho present Meeting. By a resolution 
of your Committee, adopted at tho last Meeting* the 
scope of the Statistical Section lias been enlarged, and 
it now embraces Economic: Science in all its relations. 
I regard it as a fortunate circumstance for the Asso¬ 
ciation that this important change will come into opera¬ 
tion under the presidency of tho distinguished prelate 
whose talents have been so long devoted to the advance¬ 
ment of this science, and to whose mmiificenco we owe 
the formation of a School of Political Economy in this 
University, which has already attained a high measure 
of celebrity. The Section will have the aid on this 
occasion of more than one of those gentlemen who have 
filled the chair of the Whately Professorship, [as well 
as that of other members of the Statistical Society of 
Dublin; and its proceedings will have the countenance 
and support of many foreigners who have devoted them¬ 
selves to tho cultivation of economic science- 
Gentlemen, snffer Jme now to thank you for the 
indulgent attention with which you have favoured me. 
I am conscious that the sketch of the recent progress of 
the Physical Sciences, which 1 have endeavoured to 
present, is but a meagre and imperfect summary of 
what has been, accomplished; but it is enough, at all 
events, to prove that science is noton the decline, and 
that its cultivators have not been negligent-in their 
high calling. T now beg, in the name of the local 
members of this body, to welcome you warmly to 
this city; and I pray that your labours here may 
redound to the glory of God and to the Welfare and 
happiness of your fellow-men. 
The following papers also appear to us to 
possess somewhat of colonial interest. 
The paper on the vitality of seeds will he 
read with avidity hy agriculturists and 
horticulturists ; for it is a great subject of 
complaint that imported seeds are many 
of them unfertile. The astonishing statis¬ 
tics relative to the rise of the city of Glas¬ 
gow will shew what vast results may he 
obtained hy rendering shallow rivers 
navigable. 
Dr. Daubeney, of Oxford, read the “ Report of 
the committee appointed to investigate the "Vitality 
of Seeds."—He alluded to the circumstances which 
called the committee into existence, and stated 
that after planting year after year all the seeds 
they were able to collect, they had now left hut 
four species of plants whose seeds continued to 
grow. These were species belonging to the genera 
Ulex, Dolichos, Malva, and Ipoimea. He exhi¬ 
bited a register in which every experiment as 
performed by Mr. Baxter, of the Botanic Garden, 
was detailed. From the register it would he seen 
that the shortest period for which any of the seeds 
had retained their vitality was eight years, and the 
longest forty-three years. Grouping the plants 
according to their natural orders, the following 
selected will give some idea of the plants whose 
seeds retain their vitality longest: — Gramme®, 
S years: Liliaceai, 10 years; Coniferaa, 12 years; 
Tiliace®, 27 years; Malvaceat, 27 years; Legumi- 
ttoste, 43 years ; Rhamnaceie, 21 years;. Borag- 
niaceat, 8 years: Convolniiace®, 14 years; Com¬ 
posite, 8 years; Myrtacete, 18years; Umhellifer®, 
S years; "Crucifer®, S years.—Mr. George Emer¬ 
son, of the United States, expressed a doubt of 
the maize being strictly a plant of the New World, 
from the fact of its occurrence in the floral decora- ' 
tions in Rome in the time of Raffaelle.—The 
Chairman stated, that botanists had always re¬ 
garded the maize as a plant of the New 'World, 
and the evidence that it was so was regarded hy 
Alfonse De Candolle, in his recent work on the 
geographical distribution of plants, as quite com¬ 
plete.—Dr. Daubeney replied, that if the maize 
were a plant of the Old World, they could hardly 
have failed to use it; and the fact of Rafiaelle’s 
painting it, might be a counted for by the interest 
all products from the New World were regarded 
with in liis time.—Dr. Lankester drew attention 
to the physiological interest of the Report just 
read. It would appear that the seeds which re¬ 
tained their vitality- longest were those which had 
least albumen surrounding their embryos, as the 
Leguminosfe, whilst those which had large quan¬ 
tities of albumen, as the Graminace®, lost their 
vitality soonest.—Dr. Steele stated, that he had 
planted many seeds obtained from Egyptian mum¬ 
mies, but always failed to obtain any indications of 
their vitality.—Mr. Moore, of the Dublin Bota¬ 
nic Garden, related an instance in which he had 
succeeded in producing a new species of legumi¬ 
nous plant from seeds obtained hy Mr John Ball 
from a vase discovered in an Egyptian tomb. He 
also stated that he had picked from out of the 
wood of a decayed elm, at least fifty years old, 
seeds of laburnum, many of which had germinated 
when planted, and produced young trees. He had 
once grown a crop of young barberry trees by- 
planting a quantity of barberry jam, which proved 
that the process of preparing the jam did tint 
injure the seed- Many seeds grew the better for 
being placed in boiling water before they were set. — 
Dr. Daubeney stated, that seeds did not retain 
| their vitality whilst entirely- excluded from the air; 
I that, in order to keep them well, they should be 
wrapped up in brown paper, or some other porous 
material.—Mr. Archer stated, that the seeds sent 
front China in air-tight vessels always tailed to 
geminate. Some seeds kept much better than 
others. —Mr. Ogilby stated, that some seeds ger¬ 
minated the better for being kept.—Mr. Nerins 
and Mr. Moore both confirmed this statement, and 
