The Story-Book of the Fields 



A tight bandage, by compressing and 

 obstructing the path of the nourishing fluid, 

 will produce a similar swelling above the 

 stoppage. We have seen a shrub fastened 

 too tightly to the post that was to support it, 

 choked by its own growth if not released in 

 time. The stem is gradually swollen above 

 the fastening, which is finally overgrown and 

 concealed by the bark. If the whole of the 

 trunk is not confined, if there is anywhere a 

 fragment of bark which will afford a passage, 

 the nourishing juice will adopt this path and 

 evade the obstacle continuing its progress to 

 the roots. In this case the tree will still 

 grow. But if the barrier is absolutely in- 

 superable, as in the case of a strong bandage, 

 or the complete removal of a ring of bark, the 

 sap cannot descend to feed the roots ; and 

 when these perish the death of the tree will 

 soon follow. 



There is one lesson to be learned from these 

 remarks on the course of the liquid food in 

 plants. If we fasten a plant to the post that 

 is to support it, we must take care not to 

 make the bandage too tight, or else to loosen 

 it in good time, as otherwise we may run the 

 risk of a fatal stoppage in the trunk. 



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