1884. LAWS OF GBOWTH. 289 



above, from below, and from either side of tlic gap. Heedless of the 

 hiws under consideration ? Xo, but in obedience to these hiws. The 

 gap is lirst filled with light. IJranchlets below the gap grow upwards 

 to till it, because growth and perpendicular light are stronger than 

 gravitation and the superimposed shade. Bianchlets grow downwanl 

 to till it, because gravitation and the superimposed shade arc stronger 

 than growth and the perpendicular light. And branchlets grow in- 

 ward from either side of the gap to till it, because the horizontal light 

 is superior to all the other external conditions of growth present. 

 Not that any condition is necessarily absent, but because the causative 

 power of one is neutralized by another. Promise was made that 

 Nature's beautiful employment of shade would be referred to; we 

 trust that promise has now been fulfilled. It is not maintained, 

 however, that every irregularity of form is in this way wholly dis- 

 placed, but we maintain that to this end Nature not only does all she 

 can, but also all that can be done. 



In the presence of such a tree one delights to linger. Its ' un- 

 hasting yet unresting ' laws of form, in their action silent and un- 

 obtrusive as the sunbeams that sip the morning dews, are things into 

 which simplicity may look and humility see deep. Longer we can- 

 not linger at this time ; but we turn not away without the satisfaction 

 of knowing that however frosts may freeze it and storms concuss it, 

 these laws will, in varying proportion and causative power, wait upon 

 it till its lovely form shall be displaced by one less lovely, till its life 

 ceases to throb response to them, and till the work of centuries has 

 crumbled into dust. 



At the outset we spoke of another type of tree — the timber mer- 

 chant's type of tree. In these days when forestry begins to spread 

 its wings for upward flight, and when it is evident that past 

 indifference threatens future inconvenience, much is being said, and 

 more rec^uires to be said, in regard to this kind of tree. No evil can 

 come from mingling our voice with that of others. In doing so we 

 must not lose sight of the laws enumerated. If to these we add the 

 one which we have been considering, namely, contiguity, or nearness 

 of other trees, means of explaining the development of this kind of 

 tree will be at our disposal. Contiguity, it will be understood, means 

 practically the partial or total exclusion of horizontal light, and has 

 the effect of moderating and of checking side growth. The operation 

 of this law has been exemplified in the case of the overcrowded seed- 

 bed. The use of the word ' checking ' is, sometimes, more hack- 

 neyed than accurate. To lessen attraction to side growth in a given 

 direction, is something very different from stopping growth in that 

 direction, and the lessening of attraction to horizontal growth is 

 precisely the function of contiguity in the growing of strnicjht, tall 



