THE NURSERY. 27 



other; and yet the oft quoted marvel of the tree 

 which was planted upside down, and which pro- 

 duced flowers and leaves from its roots, is familiar 

 to every one. 



Here, as in other cases, our teachers have led us 

 into error, by attempting to trace analogy with 

 animal anatomy and physiology, and by directing 

 our attention to the circulation of plants, as though 

 they, like animals, had a true arterial and venus 

 current of circulating fluids. The cell circulation 

 is a quite different affair, and can be conducted in 

 either direction as every gardener knows who has 

 ever layered a plant or set a cutting wrong side up. 

 So with the roots they are but downward exten- 

 sions of the stem; under ordinary circumstances 

 they have no need for buds, but these may be and 

 often are developed, when the necessity for their 

 presence arises. 



Buds do exist on the roots especially those near 

 the surface and from them freely spring suckers, 

 which are as much a part of the parent tree as its 

 branches, and may be planted with entire certainty 

 of obtaining the same fruit, just as the twigs when 

 used as cuttings, or cions when grafted, will pro- 

 duce similar results. 



High manuring the nursery is objectionable, and 

 a tree is better for having a moderate, and not an 

 abnormal, growth. Such trees are much more apt 

 to become discolored or black hearted than those 

 having made a more moderate growth; they are 

 also less liable to bark bursting in nursery. 



