OF TRANSPLANTING. 293 



the plant to throw out, in room of those compara- 

 tively inactive subterranean limbs, a supply of young 

 active fibres. This is a common practice in the nur- 

 series in transplanting young Oaks and other tap- 

 rooted trees, and is one of the means employed by 

 the Lancashire growers of Gooseberries, in order to 

 increase the vigour of their bushes ; in the last case, 

 however, the operation is not confined to the time 

 when transplantation takes place, but is practised 

 annually upon digging the Gooseberry borders. The 

 reason why cutting off portions of the principal roots 

 causes a production of fibres appears to be this : the 

 roots are produced by organisable matter sent down- 

 wards from the stem (31) ; that matter, if uninter- 

 rupted, will flow along the main branches of the 

 roots, until it reaches the extremities, adding largely 

 to the wood and horizontal growth of the root, but 

 increasing, in a very slight degree, the absorbent 

 powers : but if a large limb of the roots is ampu- 

 tated, the powers of the stem remaining the same, 

 all that descending organisable matter which would 

 have been expended in adding to the thickness of the 

 amputated part is arrested at the line of amputation ; 

 and, unable to pass further on. rapidly produces gra- 

 nulations to heal the wound, and immediately after- 

 wards young spongioles, which soon establish them- 

 selves in the surrounding soil; and become the points 

 of new active fibres. 



The question of pruning the branches of trans- 

 planted trees has been already sufficiently adverted 

 to (see p. 248). 



