177 



to two feet five inclies ; its bark being all 

 along full of cracks, evidently the efforts 

 of nature to effect such purpose. — This 

 tree was again measured, at the same time 

 with the above ; when the girt proved two 

 feet seven and a half inches. — It grew in 

 a pretty close pkmtation, where it had 

 much less of soil, air, and moisture, than 

 the other. 



Now, taking it for granted that nature 

 is uniform in her operations, we may as- 

 sert, upon the above authority, that to 

 have the trunk of a tree increase fast in 

 circumference, the sap must be prevented 

 from having too many outlets, or ways to 

 escape; these we conceive to have been of 

 the very worst sort, being through young 

 wood, where the vessels were particularly 

 open. — ^The first case was full of such 

 outlets ; and the stem did not swell at all, 

 till the following year; and then but little, 

 and only in consequence of the scarifi- 

 cation; the latter had 7ione^ and it swelled 



