SEAT OF VEGETABLE LIFE. 143 



the wood of one of four years' growth. But this 

 difficulty is not greater, indeed not quite so incom- 

 prehensible, as is the other supposition already alluded 

 to, namely, that all increments are elaborated from 

 juices and qualities inherent in the plant ; or formed 

 by accidental associations of certain electro-chemical 

 bodies extractable from the earth, air, and water. The 

 identity of the vital envelope, during summer is 

 visible and palpable ; and if in winter it be only a 

 cincture of transparent cellular matter, no doubt need 

 be entertained of its subsequent expansibility. That 

 vegetable matter appears in the first stage of its exist- 

 ence as a colourless homogeneous mass is indisputable; 

 and that it gradually gains consistency and organic 

 form, may be easily believed by examining an orange 

 when first visible in the flower, and again when fully 

 ripe and deprived of its juice. Besides, the accrescent 

 powers and indefinite limits of vegetation in this case, 

 should banish incredulity ; in many other instances it 

 is equally surprising ; witness the monstrous gourd, 

 the majestic oak, the magnificent Banyan Fig; the 

 latter shading acres of surface, all originating in an 

 atom of a seed. 



The new layer of wood which is added on the old 

 stem or trunk, ranges with the first layer of wood on 

 the terminal shoots. On the latter all primary buds, 

 and consequently branches, originate. The shoots 

 developed this year, except water shoots*, are based 



* Water shoots are such as are produced on luxuriant growing 

 shoots of the present year, frequently seen on the peach, apricot, 

 and always on the grape vine. 



