A On the Flower-luds of Trees 
vanced towards the bark; but all generally surrounding an old 
one (fig.3.): an innumerable assemblage that are hastening on to 
the bark, What should cause some buds to proceed all the way 
up the wood perpendicularly, and others to cross at once to the. 
bark, I canuot conceive, and have never been able to guess: but — 
so itis. The Olive shows like one large peaked bud, appearing: 
at some little distance from each other; but I suspect that it is 
a collection, since it carries that divided appearance when it is 
followed into the interior. It is certain the wood-lines diverge 
(fig. 4, aa) in a manner that proves that innumerable buds are 
hourly passing, for the yearly lines ever move out of the circle, 
but to effect this purpose:—a most striking circumstance. 
That any person can deny.afact.so evident to sight ‘* as the 
passing of the flower-bud through the wood, even from the root 
upwards, is most strange. But when I add, that not oue bo- 
tanist ina thousand has really examined the woods when newly 
uncovered by the bark, and then followed it with the knife as 
far as its marks go through the ligneous part; J advance only 
what my experience teaches, and what they will not I fancy 
deny: for many, when they saw the specimens I showed, were 
astonished, allowed the evidence to be complete, and the facts to 
be just as I had represented them. Thuis, it is only those that 
do not see my specimens, who do not believe in the system : 
nor am I surprised, when I recollect with what indifference’ * 
we view all novel objects, though ever so beautiful, till some m= 
terest draws our attention to them; that the mind rarely ac= 
companies the eyes in the investigation, till our curiosity is ex- 
cited, and our thoughts turned into that chanrel;—then the 
whole breaks at once upon us, éruth becomes conspicuous, 
and we are astonished we did not remark it sooner.. How few 
are there whose mind always accompanies their eyes, who can- 
not perambulate Nature’s garden without noticing each plant, or 
each unpractised figure, which presents itself, not before seen! 
How few are there whose mind. will always be alive to every 
novel object ; who, when they disgover it, must follow it in a pro- 
gressive manner through every part of the picture, till they have 
made themselves masters of the subject, and not allow prejudice 
to stand between them and truth! To walk with such a man 
through Nature’s garden, is indeed a treat, yet but rarely met 
with; not a tree, not a leaf, but presents something curious to 
the eyé of the observer, and brings its observation with it. It 
is scarcely to be believed how carelessly my work has been no- 
ticed, and how little botanists are agreed on, the subject, ex- ~ 
cept in the wish to get rid of it, when it is certainly a mew 
science which they have not yet examined, but which might 
‘ prove (if well followed up) of the greatest utility to both farm- 
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