ON THE INTERIOR. OF PLANT!* g5^ 



1 ventured to lee what others had thought and said on^ the 

 subject, and compare the realities with their opinions. It 

 was this mode of study, and no desire of contradicting 

 others, that was the origin of these letters; ray opinions, 

 were wholly formed by a view of the subject in nature, 

 and not in books; as I have but too often found, that 

 the eyes, if informed what they are to see, (if great care 

 is not taken to prevent it) will be assisted by the ima- 

 gination in seeing it. It has therefore been my constant 

 endeavour to take the picture from my eye, and not my 

 mind. Perfectly conscious also, that 1 have no pretensions to 

 fine writing, (having neither time nor abilities for it) I must 

 apologize to your readers for the homeliness of my style; 

 endeavouring always to lay before them in the simplest 

 language the exact truth —I pretend to no more. 



How I proceeded to prepare myself for studying the 

 present subject it is necessary I should show. Having col- The author's 

 lected most of my specimens in the autumn, that I might ["J^\ , ° 

 get them in various ages of bud, I chose the logs of dif- 

 ferent trees and shrubs, which I could select both in tlie 

 nursery gardens adjoining, and in the gentlemens' grounds 

 around; and having suspended them in a warm room to 

 dry, I began in October to dissect, first stripping the rind, 

 I drew an exact picture of the undulations and situation 

 of the inner bark; then laying the wood completely bare, 

 and exposing the various buds in their different ages work- 

 ing their way through the woody fibres, collected in parcels, 

 some lowering to form a bed for the bud, while others, 

 rounded over its head, seemed as a shield to defend it fioiu 

 all pressure. Imitating this with my pencil, as well as was 

 in my power, I next divided the branches into two halves, 

 very gently extricating the pith, and leaving the line of life 

 alone pressing on the wood. Then are seen all the undu- 

 lations this part makes to accompany each bud, substituting 

 itself, whenever the pith is suspended, for the introduction 

 of new wood, and marking by a cross line the situation of 

 the fresh shoot. After drawing this also, with other wood 

 of the same plant, I split it, and planed it very smooth. In 

 thi» posture the stoppage of the pith is best seen ; a matter 

 of the greategt consequence to the plant. When this is drawn, 



the 



