96 



GROWING GOLD. 



deserves all the attention which we have 

 endeavoured to attract to it. The one about 

 to be described has not been selected for its 

 great length, it being only forty-four inches 

 long : whereas Forsyth mentions one six feet 

 long. 



It has no branches from it, but has fifty- 

 eight leaves upon it, four of which are seven 

 inches long and four wide ; these are in the 

 middle of the shoot; the rest of the leaves 

 gradually decrease to half the size of the 

 large ones : they have no tail like those of 

 the trembling poplar, which allow the leaves 

 to turn edgewise to let off the wind, therefore 

 as it is received upon the leaves of oak 

 trees, its full force is immediately con- 

 veyed to the stem. While such a shoot is 

 growing, more than the upper half of it is 

 unripe wood or vegetable, and is thickly set 

 with leaves, consequently as pliant to the 

 least force or pressure as the stem of corn or 

 grass, and from this cause it cannot ascend, 

 unless completely screened from the wind. 



