THE HOLLY.

THE holly is an ever-green, and a native of the woods in this country; where it sometimes arrives to the height of 20 or 30 feet. It is, however, more usually seen in gardens and hedge-rows, in the state of a shrub.

The wood of a full-grown holly is valuable. It is the whitest of all our hard woods, and is therefore used by inlayers; and it is sometimes stained black, to imitate ebony. It is also excellent for the uses of the turner, carver, and mill-wright; being extremely firm and durable.

THE BOX.

THE box is another evergreen tree or shrub, which is sometimes met with here in a wild state; but more commonly in gardens and plantations. A strong shallow soil, of the lime-stone kind, seems to suit it best.

The wood of the box is of a pale yellow colour; and being very hard, smooth, and solid, it is much valued for various purposes. Mathematical and musical instruments are made of it; also knifehandles, combs, shuttles, &c. It is the only tree whose wood is serviceable to the engraver.

HAVING described the natures, properties, and uses of most of the trees found in our woods and plantations, I shall conclude with the following extract from Mr. John Tuke's Survey of the Agriculture of the North Riding of Yorkshire, a Work that abounds with useful and just observations :--

"Most people, I think, concur in this point, that for the last half century, the wood in this kingdom has been terribly on the decline.

"That gloomy prospect is now become tremendous, and sufficiently visible to awaken the fears of every thinking person. The axe is often heard, but the planter is seldom seen. Let us cast our thoughts towards the future support and welfare of our navy-our sole protection!-and we must tremble at the continual disappearance of our oak. Some speedy method must be adopted to remedy this great, national evil; or, besides the danger from fierce external foes, we must determine to go bare-foot: we should never think of looking to foreign countries for a constant supply of oak-bark to tan our leather. Let Britain help herself!

"Each nobleman and gentleman should insert, in the agreement with his tenants, a clause to compel them to plant and protect, in the corners of their fields, and upon pieces of waste ground, a certain number of good oak, elm, and ash trees, annually. These trees should be found by the landlord; and he should enforce the performance of this clause as rigidly as the payment of the rent; then will the rising generation have cause to bless the wisdom and policy of the present age."

T

SECTION IV.

MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS

CONCERNING

SOLIDS.

3

1. WHAT is the solidity of a cubical stone, whose diagonal is 30 inches? Ans. 9545.94154 inches. 2. The length of a parallelopipedon is 10, its breadth 6, and its depth 4 feet; what is the length of a similar parallelopipedon, whose solidity is three times as much? Ans. 14.42249 feet.

3. The altitude of a cylinder is 20, and its diameter 10 inches; what is the altitude of another cylinder whose solidity is twice as much, its diameter being 30 inches ? Ans. 44 inches. 4. The diameter of a legal Winchester bushel is 18 inches, and its depth 8 inches; what is the diameter of that bushel whose depth is 7 inches?

Ans. 19.77733 inches.

5. Two men bought a conical piece of timber, which is to be equally divided between them, by a plane parallel to the base; what will be the altitude of each part, the height of the cone being 21 feet, and the diameter of its base 3 feet 6 inches?

Ans. The altitude of the upper part is 16.66771 feet; and that of the lower part 4.33229 feet.

6. Each side of the greater end of a piece of timber, in the form of the frustum of a square pyramid, is 5 feet, each side of the less end 2 feet, and its perpendicular altitude 15 feet; it is required to divide it equally between two persons, by a plane parallel to the ends. Ans. The height of the part next the less end is 10.25709, and the height of the part next the greater end is 4.74291 feet.

7. A gentleman has a bowling-green, 500 feet in length, and 300 feet in breadth, which he would raise one foot higher, by means of the earth to be dug out of a ditch with which he intends to surround it; what will be the depth of the ditch, if its breadth be every where 9 feet? Ans. 10.18744 feet.

8. What must be the diameter of the bore of a cannon, which is cast for an iron ball of 361b. in weight, so that the diameter of the bore may be of an inch more than that of the ball? Ans. 6.4747 inches.

9. If a heavy sphere whose diameter is 8 inches be put into a conical vessel, full of water, whose diameter is 10, and altitude 12 inches; it is required to determine how many cubic inches of water will run over. Ans. 210.17722 cubic inches. 10. A cubical foot of brass is to be drawn into wire of an inch in diameter; what will be the length of the wire, allowing no waste in the metal?

Ans. 31.25217 miles. 11. How many 4 inch cubes can be cut out of a 12 inch cube? Ans. 27.

12. The length of a piece of square timber is 12 feet, and its solidity 48 feet; what will be its solidity when it is made into the greatest cylinder possible? Ans. 37.6992 feet.

13. A farmer borrowed part of a hay-stack of his neighbour, which measured 8 feet every way, and paid him back by two equal cubical pieces, each side of which measured 4 feet: Query, was the lender fully paid? Ans. He was paid only part.

14. A piece of timber is 20 inches broad, and 16 inches thick; at what distance from the end must a section be made, so that the part sawn off may measure exactly 5 cubic feet? Ans. 27 inches.

15. A ship's hold measures 120 feet in length, 33 in breadth, and 6 in depth; how many bales of goods, 6 feet long, 4 feet broad, and 3 feet deep, may be stowed therein, leaving a gang-way, 3 feet broad, the whole length of the hold?

Ans. 300.

16. The diameter of a circular island is 300 feet, and it is surrounded by an oblique sided moat; how many cubic yards of earth were dug out of it, the breadth at the top being 10 feet, the breadth at the bottom 4 feet, and the perpendicular depth 8 feet?

Ans. 2019.93244 cubic yards.

17. Suppose it be found, by measurement, that a man of war, with its ordnance, rigging, and appointments, draws so much water as to displace 55000 cubic feet of sea water; required the weight of the vessel.

Ans. 1580 tons. 18. The length of a cylindrical piece of timber is 15 feet, and its diameter 4 feet; what will be its solidity when hewn into a square prism? Ans. 120 feet.

19. How many bricks, each 8 inches long, 4 inches broad, and 3 inches thick, will build a wall 200 feet long, 10 feet high, and 1 foot thick ?

Ans. 36000.

20. What is the weight of a cast iron cannon ball whose diameter is 4 inches? Ans. 9 pounds.

21. The ball upon the top of St. Paul's Church, in Leeds, is 3 feet in diameter, and it is covered with copper of an inch thick; required the value of the copper, at 2s. 34d. per pound avoirdupois ?

Ans. £7. 12s. 31d. 22. What is the weight of a bomb-shell, or hollow sphere of cast iron, whose inside diameter is 9 inches, and the thickness of the metal an inch and a half? Ans. 140.4746 lb.

23. The length and breadth of the greater end of a mill-hopper, in the form of a prismoid, are 40 and 30 inches; the length and breadth of the less end 10 and 6 inches; and its perpendicular altitude 36 inches; how many Winchester bushels will it hold, 2150.42 cubic inches making a bushel? Ans. 8.53786 bushels.

24. A tree whose length is 28 feet, girts 45 inches in the middle, with a rope one inch in diameter; required its true girt, and likewise its solidity, according to the quarter-girt method of measuring timber; the length