as — 
Vegetable Organography and Physiology. 59 
reous rock. From one side of the base of the tree the rock grad- 
ually sloped off towards the earth, into the soil of which the roots 
of the elm had imbedded themselves. On the opposite side, and 
within a few feet of the tree, the rock was abruptly broken off 
by a perpendicular descent of many feet. Over this edge of the 
bare rock a large root of the elm had crept, and when first seen 
by the writer, several years ago, was apparently seeking to hide 
itself in the soil below; but a distance of several feet still inter- 
vened between the root and the earth. This singular and un- 
natural position of the root attracted our attention at the time, and 
being in the vicinity of the tree two or three years afterwards, . 
We visited it, and found that this wandering root had literally 
retraced its steps. It had actually bent directly back upon itself, 
and passing by the tree, had buried itself in the earth, along with 
its fellows, on the side opposite from where it sprang. Here cer- 
tainly a “want” existed, and although we cannot, in strict phi- 
losophy, accord to vegetables the power of “volition,” yet this 
Want was satisfied by an act, or quality, analogous to the act of F, ; 
Volition in animals.* 
In another instance, this quality, or vital principle, was mani- 
fested in a still more striking manner. About fifteen years ago, 
upon the top of an immense bowlder of limestone, some ten or 
twelve feet in diameter, a sapling elm was found growing. The 
stone was but slightly imbedded in the earth; several of its sides 
Were raised from four to six feet above its snitacies but the top of 
the rock was rough with crevices, and its surface, which was 
sloping off, on one side to the earth, was covered with a thin 
mould. From this mould, the tree had sprung up, and having 
thrust its roots into the crevices of the rock, it had succeeded in 
reaching the height of some twelve or fifteen feet. But about 
this period, the roots on one side became loosened from their 
attachment, and the tree gradually declined to the opposite side, 
** Plants,” says Hugo Reid, in an attempt to draw a line between the sage 
ies vegetable kingdoms, “ have no consciousness of existence, no experience 
any wants, no power of selecting food.”’ (Science of eenge’f page 16.) Yet this 
same author afterwards says: “ Carbon, it is well known absolutely necessary 
for the support, and growth of vegetables, and when this element is not to be 
found i in the soil, they can extract it from the atmosphere, and assimilate it to their 
The Science of Botany ; by Hugo Reid, p. 53. 
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