ON THE KOOTS ©F TREES. 339 



riety required to compound the juices of the tree, such is 

 the depth or shallowness of the root. The oak and ash are 

 two of the deepest rooted of our forest trees, and should not, 

 therefore, be planted close together — they may injure by inter- 

 secting each others roots— indeed, the greatest care should be 

 taken, that even trees of the same kind (much more if they 

 are not so) should not shoot their branches so as to cross or lie Not to crosi 

 on each other. It is inconceivai)le the mischief they do^ whe- "^ roots, 

 ther root or stern branch — in the first, it is not so easy to guard 

 against the evil ; but at their original planting, great care should 

 be taken to place their roots regularly and even in the ground, 



and not allow them to cross, in which case nature herself, vt'ith and not to 

 xi ^ . If -n • 1 1 , -1 cross stem 



the utmost diligence, will avoid another roots covering them, i^j-anche*. 



But it sometimes happens both abova and underground — and 

 in the first, when seen, it should directly be rem.edied, for no- 

 thing brings the rot so soon. They either both contract into 

 so small a compass as to injure each other, or one gets the 

 better and destroys the other, or the dispute carries the rot into 

 both — for they will not continue to lie one on the other, with- 

 out receiving, or doing injury : but, first losing bark and rind, 

 the upper one, pressing on the other, in a few years pierces it, 

 and then the trial of strength begins between each separate set 

 of the sap-vessels. I have some curious specimens of this 

 kind, well worthy being presented to the public attention, as 

 giving a thorough insight inlo the nature of a tree, and as ad- 

 mirably pointing out the consequential parts of a plant, which, ^ 

 of course, are always the last to give way. 



I shall now turn to the manner in which tiie roots of trees Various folds 

 are folded (if I may so express myself) in most forest trees, '^^ ^^^® ^'^'^^' 

 such as the elm, the oak, the ash, &c. They are laid exactly 

 like a circular fan, their folds meeting in the centre, and appa- 

 rently doubled over at the bark. This is admirably seen in 

 the oak, still better in the lime tree : but most visible in a 

 good double microscope — and so excessive is their predilection 

 for this shape, that cut them ever so straight, nay, plane them 

 smooth, and in a few hours (if the wood retains any vigour of 

 muscle) the ribs will again evidently appeaf to be rising, and 

 the finger which passes over, will be able to mark its motion, 

 or at least will feel the height the muscles have gained. In 

 some roots I have measured the rising, and found it to be above 

 Z 2 th«f 



