XX 



INTRODUCTION. 



that in the axil of which it is situated. In many 

 cases those buds only which are nearest to the 

 extremitj' of a branch are developed: the rest 

 appear to be reserved in case those above them 

 should be injured by blight or other accident: but 

 that every one is perfectly adapted for perpetuat- 

 ing the individual may be proved, by removing 

 from a branch in early spring all those which are 

 evidently beginning to burst ; when it will be 

 speedily found, that the smallest and least pro- 

 mising bud on the branch (if it be the only one) 

 will appropriate the nourishment intended for 

 the rest, and burst into active life. 



At a pei;iod w^hich varies in different kinds of 

 trees, some buds will be observed to assume a 

 more complex structure ; they no longer exclu- 

 sively produce leaves of an uniform character, 

 but make preparations for continuing the species. 

 Some of the buds now contain the embryos of 

 plants which are destined to have roots and 

 trunks of their owm. These must be nursed 

 and protected and matured by leaves, so altered 

 in their structure and offices, that, had we not 

 frequent opportunities of obser^dng them in 

 their transition stages, we might well doubt 

 whether they were leaves at all, and not rather 

 distinct organs, referable to no type hitherto 

 existing in the plant. The varieties of form to 

 which the flower is subject are far too niunerous 

 to be even touched upon here. They may literally 

 be said to be endless ; for many as those are 

 w^hich have been described, every traveller in un- 

 explored countries is daily adding to the list. 

 For the sake, hovv^ever, of explaining the terms 

 which occur in these volumes, it will be necessary 



