THE FEELINGS OF PLANTS 115 



size, however, the need for more room made itself 

 felt, and accordingly an attempt was made to 

 reach the ground. The roots were sent down 

 inside the stem of the tree, which was hollow. 

 In the soil to which they directed their growth 

 there was a large stone about a foot square. If 

 the direction of growth had remained unchanged, 

 the roots would have simply come right down on 

 to the stone. Strangely enough, about half a yard 

 above the stone, the roots divided into two parts ; 

 thus when reaching the ground the soil was pene- 

 trated on either side of the obstruction. It is 

 not at all an easy matter to offer an explanation 

 of a phenomenon of this nature, which in slightly 

 different forms is not an infrequent occurrence in 

 some of our older forests. 



