1884.] 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 
178 
measuring the age op trees 
The counting of the rings added by exogen¬ 
ous trees every year to their eivcunrferenecs 
can only without risk of groat error, be ap¬ 
plied to trees out down in their prime, and 
hence is useless for the older trees which 
are hollow and decayed. Trees, moreover, 
often develop themselves so unequally from 
their center, that, as in the case of a speci¬ 
men in the museum at Kew, there may be 
about two hundred and lifty rings on'one 
side to fifty on the other. Perhaps tlie 
largest number of rings that has ever boon 
counted was in the case of an Oak felled in 
1812 , where they amounted to seven hundred 
and ten ; but De Candolle, who mentioned 
this, adds that three liundred years were 
added to this number as probably covering 
'the remaining rings which it was no longer 
possible to count. 
The external girth measurement is for 
these reasons the best we can have, being 
especially applicable where the date of a tree’s 
introduction into a country or of its planting 
is definitely fixed, since it enables us to argue 
from the indiridual specimen or from a num¬ 
ber of specimens, not with certainty, but 
within certain limits of variability, to the rate 
of growth of that tree as a species. Li these 
measurements of trees of a eentuiy or more 
in age, such as are given abundantly in Lou¬ 
don’s'“Ai'boretum,” lies our best guide, 
though, even then, the growth in subsequent 
ages must remain matter of conjecture. The 
diffleulty is to reduce this conjectural quan¬ 
tity to the limits of probability ; for, given 
the ascertained growth of the first century, 
how shall we estimate the diminished growth 
of later centuries ? The best way would 
seem to be to take the ascertained gi'owth of 
the first century, and then to make, say, the 
third of it the average growth of every cen¬ 
tury. Thus, if we were to take twelve feet 
as the ascertained growth of an Oak in its 
first century, four feet would be its constant 
average rate, and we might conjecture that 
an Oak of forty feet was about a thousand 
years old. But clearly it might be much less | 
for the reason for taking the third is not so 
much that it is a more probable average than 
the half, as that it is obviously less likely to 
err on the side of excess of rapidity. J. A. 
Farrar, in Popular Scie nce Monihly- _ 
CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Premiums, Kules, and of tlie 
Eerlcs County Agricultural and Horticultm.a^ 
Society, at the annual Exhibition to le le a 
Eeadlng, Pa., from September 23d to 2Gth. 
Wm. Parry, Parry P. 0., F. 
Trade Catalogue for Niu'serynion j;® V 
Parry Strawberry, Wilson. Jr. ' 
boro Kaspberry, Kieffer and other Hy ■. 
* wiouon & Co.. Passaic, N. 
Bulbs for Autumn Planting. A /ip. 
Illustrated pamphlet, containing a 
scrlptive list of all sorts of bulbs and bulbous 
roots suitable for full iilantlng. Veto-Yorl- 
J. Wadter Thompson, 39 Park : 
-niustrated Catalogue J^e’pamphlet, 
for the use of advertisers. A hands ^^^^1 
oontalnlng. In addition to the lists,^^ 
suggestions as to the ^ter of adver- 
manence, attractiveness, and chai 
tlsemonts. nonn — 
Halo Brothers. South 
Summer and Autumn Price W g„g,.ai List 
and Layer Strawberry Plan ®’ most oare- 
of choice Small-fruit Plants. -..mtles In each 
fuUy selected list of the Ucst and general 
class, and the directions for .,ig, 
management arepraotloal and reb 
OUR BOOK TABLE, 
Callloriila, the Coiimcophi of the Woiid. A 
Uon I.. 
sri.m ■' r, Chicago. Ills., 
. " B'cwliig toniiH the coiiiiiierce, 
acturcH. ellmate. lauds, agricultural aud 
other resources of the •• (j„i,ieu stato.” 
Ociuu-t.ue..t Of Agrlcilturc. _ Descriptive 
aitaloguool Plants la the exotic collectlou, pre¬ 
pared by Wllllaiu Saunders, Superluteiideut of 
(lardeiis and Grounds. This descriptive Calii- 
loguo, prepared for the purjiows of serving as a 
guide to those who desire to Inspect and study 
the plants in the eonsorvatorlcs of the DepaiL 
nient, cnli.anecs eonsidcrably the value of these 
collections to the public. 
Godoy’s Lady’s r,o<dt for.September preseuls 
special attraelions. There are two excellent 
serials now running, and this month’s installnient 
Is even more ainusingthan last month’s. There 
are two capital short slories in this issue. Among 
the other attractions of the book Is a line steel- 
plate illustration of the story, "A Tempest In- 
dooi-s,” by Emily Lennox. The music, colored 
plates, and Presidential portrait are all excellent. 
riio attractions of tills venerablo magazine 
seem to multiply each month, aodey's will well 
repay perusal. 
Ncav Sy.stem of Ventilation, by Henry A, 
Goiiye, published by D. Van Nostrand, New-York. 
In this volume of ne.arly two hundred pages, the 
author demonstrates that ventilation appar.atnses, 
as generally const ructed, do not and cannot ac¬ 
complish tlie objects for which tliey are designed, 
xuz., the complete removal of the vitiated air and 
exhalations from a room as fast as they are pro¬ 
duced, and the introduction of an equal volume 
of pure air at the same time. This seems to be 
fully accomplished by the new system. Suction 
pipes, located at the proper points, are so con¬ 
structed th.at, by tlie use of a gas or oil llame, a 
current of air is cre.atcd strong enough to remove 
any amount of air from the room. The thus ex¬ 
pelled impure air is instantly replaced with an 
equal volume of fresli air,which,before passiug in¬ 
to the room, may be warmed or cooled, as desired. 
Numerous descriptions of buildings in which this 
system Is in successful operation show its adapta¬ 
bility to every conceivable structure requiring 
ventilation. 
The rallacles in “ I’rogress and Povortj',” 
ill Henry Dunning Macleod’s “Economics,” and 
in “Social Problems,” with the Ethics of Protec¬ 
tion and Free Ti'ado, and tlie Industrial Problem 
considered a jn-iori. By William Hanson. Extra¬ 
cloth, Sl.OO. Fowler'& Wells Co., publishers, 753 
Broadway, New-Yorlc. 
This is a bold attack by a candid writer on lead¬ 
ing points and arguments made by Mr. Henry 
George, in his well-lniowu “Progress aud Pov¬ 
erty ’’ aud “ Social Problems.” Mr. Hanson is 
a-s radical as the Land Beformer himself, in his 
views of the fundamental changes necessary to 
true social progress. “The Ethics of Protection 
.and Free Trade” constitutes one essay, in which 
the principles of the two great parties that stand 
arrayed against each other on the Tariff question 
arc reviewed in the light of political responsi¬ 
bility and what constitutes true national prog¬ 
ress. Tlie work is written for the people, from 
the point of view of the practical man and Chris¬ 
tian philosopher who is consciously radical, but 
seeks to make his every proposition for social 
reform based upon justice, and responsive to the 
simple demands of humanity. 
Practical Forestry, a Treatise on the Propaga¬ 
tion, Planting, aud Cultivation, with a Descrip¬ 
tion, and the Botanical aud Popular Names of all 
the rndigenous Trees of the United States, botli 
Evergreen and Deciduous, together with notes 
on a large number of the most valuable exotic 
species, by Andrew S. Puller. Published h.v the 
Orange Judd Conipanj/, New-York. Price, $1.50. 
The. want of a condensed and yet comprehen¬ 
sive work on the trees of the United States has 
alwaj’^s been seriously felt by every one interested 
in forestry, as well as in ornamental planting; 
and the reason why a book on this subject has 
not heen imbllshed ere this can only bo found in 
the fact that the number of persons capable of 
writing such a work is microscopically small, 
and among these no one Is more competent to the 
tusk than tlic author himself, through his life¬ 
long practical experience, careful observations, 
and rare sclenllHc nttniumonts alike. The chap¬ 
ters on Inllucnce of Fruits on Climate, Character¬ 
istics of Trees, Ealsing, Transplanting, Budding, 
Grafting, and Propagating Trees, are models of 
concise, practical advice and directions. The 
chaiitcr on Pruning, wlilcii we reprint on another 
page, may well serve ns an illustration of the 
tone of tile entire book. But by far the gieatcst 
value of the work eonsists in the alphabetically 
arranged deserlptlvc list of trees, the most com¬ 
plete that has ever been published. The botani¬ 
cal as well us the jiopular names of each species 
and variety are given; and the descriptions, in¬ 
terspersed with many Illustrations, are so accu¬ 
rate aud vivid, that any one at all familiar with 
trees will lind no dilllculty in Idontifs'ing most 
kinds. The uses of the wood, fruits, flowers, or 
other parts, are fully set forth with each species, 
as well as its value for forest or ornamental plant¬ 
ing. To the tree-iilanter, landscape-gardener, and 
nurseryman this volume is worth many times its 
cost, while to the botanist and student of forestry 
it is invaluable. 
[Mr. Fuller is now engaged in collecting mate¬ 
rial for a work on nut-bearing trees, and would be 
pleased to receive specimens of rare and unusual 
nuts of all kinds. Of course, he does not want 
coinmonnuts thatarofomid everywhere, but there 
are sometimes found single trees which vaiy con¬ 
siderably in the shape and size of their nuts, and 
otherwise from the typical forms. Any one hav- 
hig such specimens may add to the general knowl¬ 
edge of this interesting class of trees by giving 
an account of them and mailing specimens to Mr. 
A. S. Fuller, Jlidyewood, N. J.] 
The Orchids of New England, by Henry BaUU 
win, published by John Wiley di Sons, Hew-TorJe. 
Price, elegantly bound, .$2.50. 
The appearance of a work of this kind, intended 
not so much for specialists in botany as for intel¬ 
ligent readers of all classes, is a most gratifying 
indication of an increasing interest in the study 
of natural sciences; and no family of plants offers 
richer or more varied material to excite the in¬ 
terest of beginners than Orchids. Persons who 
associate Orchids with the heat aud luxuriant 
vegetation of southern climates only, are made 
aware that within the area of New England not 
less than forty-seven species and varieties are 
found, which, although not of par.asitio habit, and 
not as large-flowered aud brilliantly colored as 
their tropical sisters, are in their structure closely 
allied to them. The synopsis given as an intro¬ 
duction to the work is so plain and concise, that 
it enables any one at all familiar with the stmet- 
ure of flowers to identify any species at sight 
almost. The principal part of the work consists 
in a special description of all the species, com¬ 
mencing with Orchis spcclabilis, the earliest to 
flower, and closing the cycle with the fall-bloom¬ 
ing Spiranthes. This discourse, however, is far 
from being suniily a dry, scientific description, of 
interest only to the professional botanist; but in 
a most charming style, enlivened by many excel¬ 
lent illustrations, the author interweaves huu- 
di'cds of interesting items of information about 
vegetable physiology, geography, mythology, 
poetry, etc., maldng its reading as attractive as a 
fascinating novel. This is followed bj’ accounts 
of the experiences of several horticulturists in 
cultivating indigenous Orchids. A list of stations 
at which the various species are found, shows the 
range of each species through New England and, 
as far as possible, in each State, together with the 
dcgi’ce of its abundanee or rarity. This will he of 
great value to all collectors, although the author 
states that the pleasm-e In priuting it is consider¬ 
ably lessoned by the fear that he may be sounding 
the death-knoll of some of the rarer Idnds, aud he 
advises the formation of societies for their pi'o- 
teetion. 
The careful, painstaking work of the author, as 
well ns the enterprise and liberality of thepub- 
Ushors, is highly to bo commended. If this book 
could bo placed in the hands of every graduate on 
leaving college, its reading would serve a better 
post-graduate course than anything else wo can 
imaghio. It would, no doubt, open a new and en¬ 
chanting world to many; would interest them in 
the study of nature; educate them to the purest 
and most refluiug oiiloyments, and develop them 
into nobler men and better women. 
