PERENNIALS. Q17 
to those plants which die down to the ground 
every year, and put up a newstem in the succeed- 
ing Spring :—these plants are called Perennials. 
But not so with the tree,—as it falls, so it must 
lie. Once dead, no scent of water nor animating 
influence of any kind from without will cause it 
again to put forth the tender branch. It seems 
probable that there is an “ appointed time” for 
plants as well as for animals; a time, at the close 
of which, even allowing that they had escaped 
every accident and disease, they must pass from 
the stage of native existence, and return to their 
original dust. It must be added, however, that 
all botanists do not think thus. The celebrated 
De Candolle, whom we have so often quoted, 
believes that plants do not die of old age, but in 
all cases perish either by means of some fatal 
accident or other hindrance to their growth. But 
others, such as M. Mirbel, of equal authority and 
talent, believe that independently of casualties or 
disease, plants of all kinds are doomed to die of 
old age. 
Just as in the animal world there are insects 
which are born and perish in a day, so in the vege- 
table kingdom there are plants which are not 
