55 



THE TRUNK. It certainly then must 

 be obvious, that the one, with the same 

 means must increase much faster, both 

 in height, (generally,) and thickness of 

 trunk than the other. 



Knots are also the principal cause of 

 the stems of trees growing much tapered; 

 and every workman knows something of 

 the immense loss and waste occasioned 

 by that circumstance. We need spend 

 but little time in proving this point, as 

 the form of any tree of considerable age, 

 that grows with one principal leader, and 

 has long had a clean stem, demonstrates 

 all we assert ; as such stems, from a lit- 

 tle above the base to the part where the 

 branches break out, are never found to 

 taper more than what is occasioned by 

 the lower part being oldest; while, from 

 the top of them upwards, tlie leader de- 

 creases in thickness, in proportion to 

 the number of branches produced upon 

 it. 



