THE 



GARDENER'S MAGAZINE, 



OCTOBER, 1843. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. Comparative Physiology. By R. Lymburn. 

 {Continued from p. 470.) 



The roots of plants are peculiarly fitted for ramifying in the 

 soil ; they are not elongated by expansion like steins, but 

 increase by additions from within to the point, and, not being 

 confined in their developement by joints, ramify wherever they 

 meet with obstructions, or food is found in abundance. They 

 can enter the smallest crevices, and by the additions from within 

 force their way onwards ; and, when food is at a distance, the 

 rapidity with which they elongate in quest of it is astonishing. 

 When they meet with porous substances containing absorbed 

 food, they ramify round them in all directions ; and, in rotted 

 leaves or well rotted manure, the fibres are always more 

 abundant than in poor soil. The stomach of plants can only be 

 represented by the soil. As the food of plants requires more de- 

 composition than that of animals, a greater chemical power is 

 found in the soil; and, as plants organise their tissues from 

 nascent elementary substances, much decomposition is required, 

 and the heat of the soil and admission of air cannot be too 

 much attended to. Pitchers and other appendages may assist 

 the general absorbing power, which is found on the whole 

 surface of the plant, especially on the under side of the leaves ; 

 and, in particular circumstances, this general power may take 

 the place of the special absorbing apparatus of root, and may 

 shadow out the possibility of digestive cavities becoming suitable 

 for plants as well as animals. In as far however as practice is 

 concerned, and for plants under general cultivation, the soil 

 alone can be considered as the stomach; and the necessity of 

 keeping this in projjer order becomes at once apparent, and 

 cannot be too much attended to. To keep up a proper degree 

 of heat and moisture in the soil, a certain degree of porosity is 

 required ; and when the soil is dug deep in dry weather and 

 3cJ Ser. — 1843. X. l l 



