On the Physiology of Botany. 5 



bark scales^orm, to diverge into an horizontal line, instead of 

 a perpendicular one ; what that power is, or how managed, I 

 cannot pretend to show ; I can only observe, that the size gives 

 evidence of the fact. But it required a long progressive exami- 

 nation to discover the exact time the flower-bud moved from the 

 root upwards : this secret I watched with the most careful at- 

 tention, and found that there was one particular season in which 

 the flower-buds moved up in the interior of the tree, and entered 

 within the scales of the bark prepared for them. Though a few 

 buds were to be seen at other times, yet this was the constant 

 preparation for the flowering of the tree in jpring. This is in 

 most trees from September to October ; this process never lasts 

 but one fortnight in each tree; they then pass into the scales, 

 where both bud and flower increase in such a manner, that be- 

 fore November diminutive bouquets will be discovered in the bud 

 if cut opejj, and numbers hastening up the stem to increase the 

 quantity; and thus they proceed, both buds and flowers increas- 

 ing in size, till they all burst forth in that beautiful display of 

 flowers in spring. But there are a few other curious processes 

 before this can take place in a tree, and before the flower-bud 

 can close on all its ingredients. I mean only in this letter posi- 

 tively to prove that the flower- bud is formed in the root. To 

 increase the evidence, I shall show a specimen of the common 

 furze or Ulex Europesus. 1 have chosen this plant because its 

 buds turn black and decay when the stem is torn open. This 

 furze was cut in the proper month, the beginning of September, 

 when the buds were passing up, and their habit of blackening 

 marks them plainer. It will be seen that wherever the buds are, 

 the silver (c/J, fig. 4) Z/r/^/arc/ Zi/zei always diverge (see fig. 5), 

 and that as the bud mounts perpendicularly, no gastric juice is 

 seen to precede, as in the horizontal specimen. This would, 

 show as if the present buds had not half siich difficulties to en- 

 counter as those which cross the wood: nor can I tiiink they 

 have ; for moving up the wood they have no lines to pass, except 

 the silver grain or yearly circle in width, which however they 

 always turn out of their place, forming an angle out of each cir- 

 cular line. I have also cut at the proper season most beautiful 

 specimens of the walnut, oak, and lime, with the flower-buds 

 mounting; it is therefore the season to cut the tree, if seeking 

 fancy wood. Thus then if the bud forms in the root, the method 

 I have shown will display it, and the root is surely the most na- 

 tural laboratory of the tree. When the buds have run from the 

 root upwards in their perpendicular line, and are arrived at the 

 place opposite at which their several scales in the bark are to be 

 formed, two small balls appear on each side of the projecting 



bud, 



