148 ORGANISATION AND 



This view of the constitution of a tree shows us 

 that it is not, as usually considered, an individual 

 being-. It has, indeed, a congeries of roots, a pith, 

 a principal stem, and a general covering- of bark, in 

 common; serving the purposes of sustentation, sup- 

 port, and protection to the whole ; but it has not 

 only one it is composed of many principles of life 

 dispersed over its whole surface. A tree is a vege- 

 table polypus ; capable of unlimited division and sub- 

 division of its parts, without injury to, and without 

 any notable diminution of the original. Not only 

 is every seed, but every bud a perfect being, endowed 

 with a living reproductive principle in itself; and 

 whilst a tree is considered as a vast assemblage of 

 vital entities, requires to be treated as if only an 

 individual. 



As some of the foregoing ideas are new, and at 

 variance with generally received opinions on the 

 subject, the writer only craves a patient examination 

 of his statements. He appeals to nature ; and trusts 

 that the impartial and unprejudiced inquirer after 

 truth, by comparing the phenomena themselves with 

 what has been advanced concerning them, the con- 

 clusions on both sides will not greatly differ. 



In the preceding part of this section we have 

 asserted, that all new accretions spring from a pre- 

 viously organised body ; whether that be a propago 

 or see'd which is deciduous, or from any part of a 

 plant, as a bud, graft, layer, or cutting (that contains 

 a part of the vital membrane and incipient buds,) 



