152 ^^'^^ Stem — Strictures. [April, 



you want any thing better than these in their respective characteris- 

 tics, you must resort to nature's great treasure-house — the seed. 

 You can only in this way preserve your variety ; and truly this is by 

 no means an unimportant art, but one we trust that will become more 

 and more prevalent ; and thus we will retain all the good varie- 

 ties we secure, and by crossing these good varieties by hybridization 

 and planting the seeds, increase their number and greatly enhance 

 their present excellencies. 



Now, the truth is, every seed of a dicotyledonous tree contains an 

 embryo of a young plant within it; a phyton, perfect in plumule and 

 root. It is quickened into life with no unnatural eifort ; when mois- 

 ture and a proper degree of heat is admitted, it first pushes or elon- 

 gates its inferior axis into the soil, this axis can be made to move 

 in no other direction, after feeding upon the pericarp, until it reach- 

 es its own proper element, and is prepared to perform its own prop- 

 er functions, it starts into action the plumule in the opposite direc- 

 tion, into the light and air and warmth suited to tVs proper develop- 

 ment. As the plumule ascends, the root by little increments descends. 

 As the plumule demands nourishment, the root enlarges and sup- 

 plies it ; while the buds and branches are developed, and revel in 

 their own proper elements, performing their own appropriate func- 

 tions, of decomposing, digesting and distributing, the correspond- 

 ing roots and spongioles are doing their part in furnishing a suffic- 

 ient supply of the raw material. Here then, is the ascending axis 

 with its nodes and internodes, maintaining a proper equilibrium 

 throughout the year ; indeed, throitgliout the period of its existence^ 

 with its downward and descending axis, with its corresponding ram- 

 ifications. The one eating and drinking from dame nature's bosom; 

 the other digesting the food received, and supplying every part — 

 roots, branches, leaves and fruit, — with means of substantial growth 

 and maturity. If nature is parsimonious, or the market stringent 

 by reason of drought, and can not feed the roots — her workmen — 

 they must be content to do a less prosperous business. Thus we see 

 the root and the branches are dependent on each other, and preserve 

 an equilibrium and correspondence with each other, thus showing 

 that the tree is essentially in itself a unit — not many individuals in 

 one. No more can it be said there are many individuals in the as- 

 cending than there are in the descending axis — in the stem than in 

 the roots. If you take from a tree a bud or branch, you have essen- 

 tially and truly the ascending axis — the stem of a plant — nothing 



