42 PROSERPINA. 



nitely, perishing slowly at the other, the scars or 

 ruins of the past plants being long traceable on its 

 sides. When it grows entirely underground it is 

 called a root-stock. But there is no essential dis- 

 tinction between a root-stock and a creeping stem, 

 only the root-stock may be thought of as a stem 

 which shares the melancholy humour of a root in 

 loving darkness, while yet it has enough conscious- 

 ness of better things to grow towards, or near, the 

 light. In one family it is even fragrant where the 

 flower is not, and a simple houseleek is called 

 ' rhodiola rosea,' because its root-stock has the scent 

 of a rose. 



16. There is one very unusual condition of the 

 root-stock which has become of much importance 

 in economy, though it is of little in botany ; the 

 forming, namely, of knots at the ends of the 

 branches of the underground stem, where the new 

 roots are to be thrown out. Of these knots, or 

 'tubers,' (swollen things,) one kind, belonging to 

 the tobacco tribe, has been singularly harmful, 

 together with its pungent relative, to a neighbour- 

 ing country of ours, which perhaps may reach a 

 higher destiny than any of its friends can conceive 

 for it, if it can ever succeed in living without either 

 the potato, or the pipe. 



17. Being prepared now to find among plants 



