114 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Mr. Emery — You can not decide that. 



Dr. Hull — No ; the leaves are so folded one into another that we 

 are not able to manipulate fully. 

 Mr. Nelson — Is that a second growth ? (showing scion.) 

 Dr. Hull — That is all one growth. That was the top of the scion.. 

 Mr. Daggy — Do you attribute more of that growth to the scion 

 than to the root ? 



Dr. Hull — Yes sir, I do ; because after the leaf germs have devel- 

 oped they have no support from the root. I ought to state that 

 when that bud was formed there was also stored the power of nutri- 

 tion in the tree. The tree can not create anything; it can absorb 

 moisture ; and it feeds that bud and brings it forward to perhaps half 

 its size. There must be enough of that to produce a certain amount 

 of cellular growth about the roots to make new roots or spongioles^ 

 and about that time the leaves come in and assist and carry on the 

 motion, but without that store of nutriment it could not be carried on,. 

 Mr. Barler — Will the weakest root develop the strongest bud ? 

 Dr. Hull— No, sir. 



Mr. Barler — Then you would not put the strongest bud on the 

 weakest root. 



Dr. Hull — No, sir, I would not. 



Mr. Wier — How long does this influence act on the tree ? 

 Dr. Hull — I presume Mr. Barry could answer that better than I 

 could. How long would it be, Mr. Barry ? 



Mr. Barry — It would very likely enough catch up. It is, however, 

 a very bad place to catch up. 



Mr. Bliss — Suppose it should be separated — placed by itself — with 

 equal chances with a larger growth — do they not generally make the 

 best trees ? How long would it take, with equal chances, for it to 

 be overtaken ? 



Dr. Hull — I think if taken out it might become the larger tree of 

 the two, but never in the nursery ; it would always be behind. 



Mr. Humphrey — If the Doctor's theory is correct, it comes nearer 

 to a mathematical theory than anything I have heard of. If it falls 



