299 
The first factor in the inquiry is, I think, the good rainfall of 
March, by which the ground, which was by no means dry before 
March, got an ample supply ; and owing to the mild weather 
the plants were sufficiently forward at once to take advantage of 
the supply. Now, you are probably all aware that water is of no 
use whatever to plants except at the roots, and plant life is full 
of all sorts of devices to gather in a good supply of water to the 
roots, and to keep it there. Almost all the water that comes to 
the leaves of plants finds its way down to the roots, by gravitation 
chiefly, but in no case through the leaves or the stems. The skin 
of the leaves of plants, and the rind, or bark of their stems, are 
almost like the human skin, able to exude moisture, but in very 
few instances—some botanists say in none—can they imbibe 
water. Their function is to give out water, and there are many 
instances in which the water that has been drawn up from the 
roots is given out so largely by the leaves that it flows down 
again from the leaves to the roots, not, of course, the same way 
it came, but through the air, almost like rain, Familiar 
instances of this are found in our common teazle and in the 
Alchemillas ; but as the subject is not perhaps familiar to you 
all, and is very closely connected with the provisions made in 
nature to provide against drought, I will venture to give you 
_ two or three well-marked examples.* 
One of the best examples of the extreme provisions made to 
prevent access of water to the leaves or stems of plants, is to be 
found in the Bamboos; and any of you who grow the common 
hardy Bamboos can test it. Not only is there a general 
provision of rings of hairs on the stems, which effectually 
prevents any lodgment of water that may come from rain by 
throwing it off, but the leaves are so made that every provision 
* On the absorption of rain and dew by leaves, see an excellent, 
and very clear, account in “ Kerner and Oliver’s Natural History 
of Plants,” Vol. I., pp. 225—230. 
