ACTION AND REPOSE 



pletely in forming that, and the withered leaves 

 fall off spontaneously, or can be removed by a 

 touch, the tree may be considered as safe, though 

 it may remain a long time before positive action 

 again begins ; but if the withered leaves remain 

 firmly on the twigs, it is a sign that the tree is 

 affected in its general action, and that it will " die 

 down" in those parts to which the withered leaves 

 adhere, if it does not perish altogether. 



When the action of the leaves ceases, that of 

 the absorbing rootlets ceases also, because the 

 matter which is taken in by them is not convertible 

 into wood or bark without the co-operation of the 

 leaves ; and if the leaves are stripped off, or eaten 

 by caterpillars, or destroyed by any other means, 

 the only effort that can be made by the food from 

 the root, is the pushing out of new leaves and 

 buds ; and if these are picked off as soon as they 

 make their appearance, no more wood is added to 

 the tree. It is by availing themselves of this pro- 

 perty of trees that the people of China contrive to 

 get several successions of leaves from their tea 

 plants in the course of the season. But as the 

 first crop comes after the winter's repose of the 

 tree, and when the roots are in the greatest ac- 

 tivity, that crop is fine and more highly flavoured 

 than those that are gathered later in the season. 



As, in most trees, the roots are put out before 

 the stem at the commencement, in each year's 

 action, the rootlets, or absorbent vessels of each 

 year, are formed before the leaves of that year. 

 For that reason, the autumn or winter is a much 

 better season for planting trees than the spring, 

 provided those trees are intended to show leaves 

 in the ensuing summer. Indeed if the trans- 



