GROWTH OF TREES. 201 



of buds form at all, throw up suckers from the roots, 

 not only after the bark has been divided, but after the 

 tree has been felled, of which we have familiar instances 

 in those copses that are kept in stools, for bark or 

 hoops, and also on osier beds. 



But there are some trees that have not this property, 

 though the general distinction is not ascertained. 

 There are none of the pine tribe that have suckers, or 

 that produce buds on any other place than the ends 

 of the twigs. Of those buds, a little bunch is formed 

 every season, when the elongation of the twigs for that 

 year ceases. The central one, which is intended to 

 continue the stem or the branch, is longer and stronger, 

 but if that be injured or destroyed by any means, the 

 next largest assumes a central position. If the whole 

 buds upon the extremity of any twig be destroyed, no 

 further progress is made at that part of the tree ; and 

 fresh buds are never formed upon any other part of the 

 tree than the extremity. We believe it may be con- 

 sidered as general, that where there is no lateral con- 

 nection between the different rings, or yearly growths 

 of the wood,- -none of these anastomoses, or rays, that 

 that may be traced in many kinds of timber, from the 

 pith, or centre, all the way to the last formed layer of 

 wood, there are no new buds produced on the bark. 

 Timber of this kind is always much more easily split 

 than that in which there are such connections, and the 

 operation is always performed with the greatest ease in 

 the direction of the annual rings. Lath-renders avail 

 themselves of this property, and cleave their lath, so 

 that the flat sides are in that direction ; and these are 

 always much smoother that the narrow edges. If the 



