Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-22

| new novel; Dy AlnsWOrth, entitled THE Mys
teries of the Court of Queen Anne" The tw,
magazines are especially readable and interesting.
We have also received from the same publisher
Putnam's excellent monthly for February. II con
tains an excellent article on European politics, en-
titled, " Diplomacy and Cannon Balls y one on oui
political virtues and fine engraving of the author
OF Cuba" in continuation Of the series of por,
traits of Putnams contributors. This Is one of the
best numbers of this popular monthly.
UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP FULroS-A rumor
has been circulating in this and other cities tina,
the United States steamship Fulton had been lost
at sea, in consequence of the explosion Of the
boiler, and that but very few, if any of the crew
were saved.
We are glad to say, however, that no reliable OF
even tangible authority has been found to sustain
| the report. As the Fulton sailed on the 3Oth OF
December, and was to cruise TO the windward OF
Cuba, sufficient time has not yet elapsed to enable
us to receive the news of her destruction, even Il
| it were to have happened.
CRIMINAL CoURr--P. B. KEY, ESQ.,, PRosEcUrINo
ArToRSEr.--George Barnes, George Shenig, and
Thomas McNaney, were tried ON Saturday for ar
son, in setting on fire the etable Of Geo. w. Hop.
kins on Nineteenth street, between @ and X last
| May; William Streaks and Benjamin Davidson were
indicted jointly with the others, but Streaks was
admitted to give evidence for the United States,
and Davidson was est inpentus. Seventeen wit
nesses were examined and Shenig and Barnes were
defended by Mr.. Radcliffe, and McNaney by j. II.
Bradley, Esq.
Barnes and shenig we're convicted, and McNa-
ney was acquitted
Lectures at the Smithsonian Institution.
REPORTED FOR THE AMERICAN ORGAN.
THE TREE.
By PRor. ASA GRAY, OF HARVARD University.
The living parts Of the tree are the shoots of the
season and the leaves they bear, the new roots and
the cambium layer, or the thin zone of newly form
ed and forming wood and bark between the two
and extending from the roots to the topmost
branches.
This layer is necessary to the vitality Of the tree
remove this all round the trunk and the tree per-
ishes. 1t is an easy way to kill trees and is often
practiced in the West 1t is known as "girdling."
All that is needed to sustain the life of the tree is
fresh roots to absorb from the soil fresh layers of
sap-wood to convey the crude sap from the roots
to the leaves; fresh crop Of leaves to digest what
is brought to them and fresh layer of bark to
return the elaborated sap to the shoot branch, and
trunk, to be distributed through the wood horizon
tally by the silver grain and kept there on deposte
for the next years drafts All these parts are
yearly renewed
fba tra .to &c ~
ried on till it dies by some accident or disease as
is seen in cedars OF Calfornia-one of which is
known to be l 300 years old by the rings on it
and others in the old countries.
He now spoke of the way in which trees are
affected by the death of one part, rs another is
formed, and that the new parts soon die in their
turn, andgive place to new; the leaves being re-
newed the bark she'd and the sapwood loosing vi
tally it is buried in the heart of the tree and
replaced by new growth.
There are forms of animal existence with which
the tree may be compared, and from which illus
trations of the subject may be drawn; among
them are the coral. Like tree, the branching
coral is a structure built up of the combined la
bors of number of individuals, by the successive
labors Of great number Of generations Only in
the coral the limits of each individual are more
distinct than in the tree.
Each coral tree commenced from a single polyp,
just oak commences from an acorn; the
branching mass in both cases has arisen from buds
And, as annual shoots of the tree take nourish-
ment from the root elaborate and return Il, so the
coral branch, long before its separation from the
parent mass, feeds upon the animalcule Of the
rounding water, and upon its digestion contribute
its part to the body coalne, though In both cases
the individual, li@ those Of the Fourier eommuni-
ties, are more peady to receive than to give.
Plants increase in numbers by buds, which may,
or may not, give rise TO separate plants, and by
seeds which originate and separate independent in
dividuals. The power TO multiply through vegeta-
ton depends the faculty Of any part of the stem
TO produce roots, when In fitting circumstances,
and that the old plant die soon after the new parts
are formed. The currant bush, as it bends TO the
ground, strikes roots into the earth from the under.
side Of the branch, which enables It to draw It's
own nourishment from the earth, and when the
connecting link dies or Is severed, the offset be-
comes independent. So the strawberry colonies
by its runners, with great apdity; also the couch
grass. The various tubers, in the same way, by
their accumulation Of nowishing matter, make poo.
vision for independent growth, as in the potato.
Bulbs grow either by buds or cuttings, or by
shoots springng up from the dead stem of the bulb
taking its place. Perhaps all the lilies OF thou
sands Of gardens came from buds for these are
rarely never raised from seed.
| Propagation by division has the advantage over
propagation by seed, Of continuing all the peculi-
arites Of color and flavor, just surely as these
qualities pervsde all the branches left to grow on
the tree; while from the seed we only raise the
species with tendency 10 continue the peculiari-
ties Of the parent stem, which may be fostered by
cultivation. In this way, our sorts Of apples and
pears, &c, are raised, while we lose tho pechi-
arity in raising from seed.
| Plants may run out by continued multiplication
by cuttings the cutting may be expected 10 in
hcrt diseases when II inherits the minor peculiar
ties ofform, flavor and color This may explain why
the choicest kinds Of fruit cultivated by our fore.
fathers has either entirely disap peared, or has
greatly deterioratcd. However this may be, ma.
ture has not trusted to propagation by division
alone, but plants remore usually and moro largely
multiplid by seed, which not only reproduces, but
rejuvenates the species
Condition Of Mr.. Mason.
The Paris correspondent Of the New York
Il a n