10 



or the apparent movements in the hea- 

 venly bodies, never cease to operate, but 

 flow in constant succession for the pur- 

 pose of support and regeneration. 



On the other hand, let us turn our at- 

 tention to a fruit tree, and consider how- 

 dangerous it must be to the growth of so 

 nicely contrived a body, to have a blow 

 given to it by which any of those necessary 

 sap or blood-vessels are destroyed j or 

 if we permit moss, missletoe, and other 

 parasitical plants, to grow and feed on 

 the sap which is essentially necessary for 

 its support * ; or how it must be affected 

 if numerous insects are allowed to live 

 and prey on its very vitals. And still 

 more so if the whole connection of the 



♦ " The age of a tree will make it full of mosse ; 



" and if it be young, then too much moisture will 



'* make it mossie, as also too much drynesse. This 



" disease feedeth upon a tree, and maketh it leane, 



" as the scab do a beast. To remedie this, as has 



" been said before, is to make it cleare in winter 



" with a knife of wood or bone, for fear that the 



" mosse continuing in peace may devoure the whole 



" tree." Maison Ruftique, p. 402. 



