119 



have made considerable progress betbre 

 it can attract notice. 



That the rottina; of the roots, is the 

 first cause of this defect, we have little 

 doubt, but how they happened to be so, 

 forms the difficulty. Whether from acci- 

 dental circumstances, an unusual quan- 

 tity of moisture had been lodged in the 

 soil, where a particular root or roots, may 

 be said to have made their abode ; or 

 whether such might have penetrated into 

 a stratum, always surcharged with water 

 in winter; it is not difficult to conceive, 

 the vessels destined to carry on the busi- 

 ness of vegetation, may, by such means, 

 be rendered incapable of performing their 

 functions; and if so, the death of such 

 part is inevitable, after v/hich, all that 

 follows may easily be accounted for. 



As the connection between the roots 

 and the stem is exactly similar to what 

 exists between that and the branches, as 



