154 



LETTERS ON TREES. 



ject, I must not omit to mention that sundry specific 

 objections have been advanced against the view here 

 taken of the relation of the woody tissue to the leaves, 

 and, likewise, against the notion of the tissue in ques- 

 tion being in any sense descending matter." These 

 objections are fully stated by Dr Lindley in his Intro- 

 duction to Botany^'^ and are, I think, very satisfac- 

 torily met and answered by him. One or two of 

 them, indeed, are such as even Dr Lindley himself 

 feels compelled to allow, strongly favour the view of 

 the woody tissue being formed in situ. Any objec- 

 tion, however, raised on this ground — that is, on the 

 ground that the facts do not admit of explanation 

 on any other view — may, I think, at once be met by 

 the admission that in point of fact the woody tissue 

 is ordinarily formed in that way, — an admission, how- 

 ever, it seems to me, which does not, in the smallest 

 degree, invalidate the inferences drawn from the facts 

 already laid before you, as to the relation of the 

 woody tissue to the leaves, or its capacity for down- 

 ward growth. Instead, however, of carrying the dis- 

 cussion farther here, I shall take another opportunity 

 of placing before you what Dr Lindley says on the 

 subject.f — I am, &c. 



^ Vol. ii. Pp. 197-201. 



f See Note A at the end of the volume. 



