118 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



PT. Jl. 



the notches. This fact also strongly corroborates the 

 opinion that the new growth in girthing is from the 

 downward sap ; for if it were a side- deposit from the 

 upward sap, the lowest notches should heal first, and 

 the healing would be from their lower sides. I have 

 found that, if stems thus notched are inverted, the new 

 growth comes only from the sides of the notches, and 

 neither from the upper nor lower parts of them, which 

 I am unable to account for. But the notches nearest 

 the head are the first to heal, and those nearest the 

 root the last to heal. 

 The growth The new growth on the notches will be free in 



in girthing 



descending proportlou as tlicy are in the line with large branches 

 parficiiiar"^ abovc tlicm ; and I imagine that, though the returning 

 genefai^^ sap fi'om brauchcs deposits round the whole stem, it 

 stem? deposits most freely on the proper side of the branches ; 



though it is 



greater on aud tlic lars^cr aunual deposit found on the outsides of 



the side ^ • 



the^branch- ^^^^ outsidc trccs of plantations, which has been attri- 

 buted by Duliamel and BufFon to their having their 

 largest roots on that side, is, I have no doubt, the 

 result of their having their largest branches on that 

 side. An exposed tree standing singly will throw out 

 its roots equally all round it ; but the new layers of 

 wood round the stem will be much the largest on the 

 leeward side, because the largest branches are on the 

 leeward side ; yet, if the upper part of one half of a 

 stem is dead, the opposite hving side will deposit round 

 the whole living part below. And I imagine that it is 

 thus that the windward roots of an exposed tree are 



