Anatomy of the Vine. 269 



liber; for I cannot conceive what other purpose they can 

 answer : they cannot be a continuation of the former year's 

 vessels, for they were perfectly dead in the spring, when these 

 vascular vessels were first elongated with the shoot ; besides 

 they are never found in any other part of the vine, but in the 

 summer shoot, and they die at the same time as the liber of 

 the year before. At one time I thought these bundles of 

 vascular texture might be to supply the cellular vessels of the 

 summer shoot, as they are embedded in them, with the 

 descending sap from the leaves; but this idea was relin- 

 quished, when I afterwards found that the new cellular vessels 

 of the same year, as represented in Jig. 52. at i to i, had no 

 communication with them, nor those of o to o in Jig. 54. in 

 the following year. 



Connected with this change, that takes place about the 7th 

 of August, 1830, is the union of the libers of the two shoots 

 of 1829 and 1830 in Jig. 53. at <?: for both will be completely 

 united, and there will be no scar observable ; although the 

 liber across f to g was formed in the spring of 1830, and 

 the new liber on the shoot of 1829 at e will be formed in 

 August, 1830. 



One might have supposed that the liber of 1830 might have 

 elongated its vessels downwards, as it had extended them up-i 

 wards during the summer, and, by so doing, formed the new 

 liber on the shoot of 1829; but that cannot be the case, 

 when we recollect that the new liber on the shoot of 1829, as 

 represented in^. 54>. at n to n, will be formed in a week. 



Presuming that the shoots of 1829 and 1830 will confirm the 

 changes which I have mentioned, hi the Jirst week in August, 

 1830, I must appeal to you, and other scientific persons, to assist 

 me in explaining the direct use of the bundles of vascular tex- 

 ture, and to point out whence they do arise, and also from what 

 vessels the second year'' s liber is formed. 



During my endeavours to discover the second year's liber, 

 I have always paid more attention to the cellular vessels than 

 to any other, from observing how soon they filled up the 

 space left by the detached vessels from the liber of 1828, and 

 also the space that was left when that liber was thrust out in 

 the following August of last year ; and I think, if they do not 

 entirely form it, they contribute essentially towards it. 



I remain Sir, yours, &c. 

 Bath, April ] 5. 1830 Walter William Capper. 



