XIII. 



ERRORS CONCERNING THE PITH. 



JC. LOUDON, in his Encyclopedia of Agricul- 

 ture (first published in 1831), considers the 

 pith to serve most probably to give some peculiar 

 elaboration to the sap. After referring to the 

 ancient vulgar error that the office of the pith was 

 to generate the stone of the fruits (see chapter on 

 seedless fruits), he quotes various other errors, 

 which appear at least to have some reason in them. 

 Among these is one related by Malpighi (who did 

 not himself believe it), that the pith was analogous 

 to the brain and heart of animals. He himself, 

 however, believed the pith to be, like tue cellular 

 tissues, the viscera in which the sap was elaborated 

 for the nourishment of the plant, and for the pro- 

 trusion of the future buds. Magnol thought that 

 it produced the flower and fruit, but not the wood. 

 Du Hamel regarded it as being merely an extension 

 of the pulp or cellular tissue, without being des- 

 tined to perform any important function in the 

 process of vegetation. But Linnseus was of opinion 

 that it produces even the wood, regarding it not 

 only as the source of vegetable nourishment but as 



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