Steuarfs Planter's Guide. 121 



sake of some Jine young thriving tree^ endeared to the owner 

 by the hand that planted or the arm that watered it. But 

 this need never more be the case : the favourite may be re- 

 moved to an equally genial spot, where it may unoffendingly 

 remain, with all the ideas associated therewidi. 



Sir Henry's physiological knowledge agrees with the first 

 authorities of the present day. From this fund he has drawn 

 judiciously, and, on one fact elicited by that science, has 

 founded one chief trait of his management, and to which he 

 attributes much of his success. This fact is, that branches 

 and roots are correlative parts of the plant, and that any 

 damage sustained by the one must necessarily affect the other. 

 That damage at the root hurts the branches is, and always 

 has been, the general belief; but that severely pruned branches 

 weaken the roots has never been so generally understood as 

 to be regarded as a rule in practice. This, nevertheless, is 

 perfectly consistent with our ideas of vegetable economy, as 

 the action of both root and head must be reciprocal, and no 

 developement of the one can take place without the assistance 

 of the other. In every tree there is a store of expanding 

 powers, a previous accumulation of vegetable life, which serves 

 for future extension and developement; and, therefore, to 

 lessen this by violence, either to the root or branches, must 

 weaken the whole system of the plant. Hence, our author 

 argues, that to deprive a tree of its principal branches is also 

 to deprive the root of that stimulus on which it depends. 



Thus, directed by a natural principle, he leaves the head 

 unpru?zed, and is successful ; and this is the reason he gives 

 why former transplanters, who always lopped their trees, have 

 been so unfortunate. 



On this branch of the subject, it is necessary on your ac- 

 count, perhaps, that I offer a few words of explanation. Sir 

 Henry has been pleased to notice, with much commendation, 

 what you have heretofore published as your opinion and prac- 

 tice on this particular point of arboricultural management. I 

 dare not, as your friend, echo back to Sir Henry, in similar 

 terms, the encomiums bestowed on you and your writings 

 by the baronet. It would look too much like a coun- 

 terpoise of adulatory compliment. But, as he has can- 

 didly, and I may add, fairly, included you amongst those 

 whose practice or opinions he regrets and condemns, I 

 feel it necessary, as I have already said, to explain (not 

 to apologise or justify) on your behalf, as well as on that 

 of Messrs. Pontey and Sang, an expression which con- 

 tains, it seems, an opinion of theirs, and is quoted by you 

 without note or comment. This opinion is, " That strength 



