New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-01-11
Conversational Meeting Of the American In
-NEood

On Friday evening last at the Rooms Of the Insti-
tute in the Park held the first Of series Of Con
yersatonal Meetings the object Of which IS to click
information from all who may represent interest
ins and useful subecis-esch person TO be allowed IL
teen minutes and all deba,e to be avoided.
The subject Of Hood taken up Friday evening, but
have space to give anything like full report Of
the proceedings. Prof MAPEs gave a minute descrip
ton Of the nature OF wood and the properties and origin
OF the sep With s progress through the capillary tubes
Of which i, may be proved that wood is composed by
pressing rattan any other porous wood under water
and drawing up the water through is whole length BY
the mouth.
GENTLEMAN present mentioned fact OF which he
was informed by Albany builder. that the lumber
brought 70 that city rats much better than that con
yeyed In tho regular warm boats. He would there
fore ask an expsna.ion-whether water has any effect
in seasoning wood Prof MAPEs said he would throw
out merely hypothessthat as consequence OF the
wood being almost entirely immersed in the water the
sap partially washed out or parted with 70 much
greater extent than by any other means.
In regard 10 the cbarring Of wood a Of its
preservation in answer to inquiry, gentleman in
the audience stated that in parts Of Europe this
method is prscticed Wood that had not been seasoned
did not endure long without decaying that which
had been seasoned previously to being subjected to the
action OF IRE.
On the KyaHi,iag process, some remarks were made.
Prof MAPEs explained the process-the wood being i'm
mersed in solution Of corrosive sublimate by which
means the sap is cosguated and the wood will never a.
erwsrd swell by wettiDg The sap thus fills the capi-
larry tubes has tendency 10 decay the wood, and viii
not undergo ermentaiion- .oher very Interesting re-
marks made on this subject BY various gentlemen
On the usal age Of and the yroaes age which
they will attain Prof MAFEs read interesting
reported By Dr. Browne and others. The great age at
tanned by trees is very interesting Clsudus James
Kirk, British Agent At Bsgdad found the ruins Of
Babylon an old tree which he states to have stood pro
badly loo years Some OF the of England are 600
years old. There trees In India many centuries old
Some of the cedars OF Lebanon are OF great age. DR.
Browne examined dragon tree from Tenerie yielding
the dragons blood of the shops That tree Is believed
to be 900 years old is Is feet in circumference and
is now hollow There is in the city OF Mexico decidu
cypress OF 30 feet in circumference De Cand0lc
thinks that this cypress must be 1900 years old. The
great Linden OF Neustadt Germany is 50 feet in
circumference. At the hight Of fifteen feet it branches
out hundred feet each side and these branches
supported by hundred and eight pillars of stone
and of wood. There stairs made for persons 10
cend it, small gardens made among the limbs, and
their produce sold to the visitors This tree IA supposed
10 be 1908 years Of age The Wallace Oak Of England
ing l.. called the For Oaks, by their rings 4-3
years old.
As to the practice of blazing trees az it is termed
gentleman present stated that surveyors ascertain the
age of mark trees by cutting into the tree
I'll they ind within the solid wood the dark mark show
ing the old wound then counting the rings from the
face TO this mark. which show the number OF years
since the mark made and hence they find whether
the mark made At the date OF the survey they wish
to trace In this way many lawsuits are settled The
month ia also important since the Autumn of year
shows the same mark the early Spring of the next
year.
An allusion was made to the Course of Lectures
in progress by the Faculty OF the Institute the second
OF which comes of on Wednesday. 18th, a, Clinton
Hall The subject for the next Conversational Meeting
the 22d of this month. at the place
nounced to be The Origin of Fruits and Vegetables