4i6 



I. INAGAKl. 



Suppose, in the above diagrams, that the small circle (A) is the 

 plot of land occupied by one seedling, and that the large concentric 

 circle (B) denotes the cross section of the imaginary cylinder, the 

 surface of which is equal to the actual surface of assimilation in the 

 plant. In the case of figure I, we may suppose, that assimilation 

 takes place at every point in the circumference of the circle (B), while 

 in figure II or III, where 2 or 3 seedlings are planted together, 

 assimilation can take place only in the arcs (a b c) and (c d a) or 

 (a b c) (c d e) and (e fa), respectively, and not in the other arcs of 

 the circles such as (a e c) and (c fa) or (a g c), (c k e) and (e h a), 

 where air and light, are entirely cut off by the outer arcs. 



As every new particle in the body of a plant is always produced 

 by assimilation, the number of shoots that spring from a seedling 

 must necessarily be proportional to its surface area of assimilation, 

 thus : — 



The number of shoots sent forth 



(from I seedling \ • /from 2 scedlingsX • /from 3 seedHngs\ * 

 planted single / • yilanted together/ • \planted. together," • 



/figm-e I,\ • /figure II, arcs \ " / figure III, arcs \ 'o^- 



Vcu-cleB^* l^abc + cdaj • Vihc + cde + efaj 



Taking the circumference of the circle (B) as i, tlie correspond- 

 ing length of the arcs (a b c-fc d a), (a b c + c d e + e f a), etc, arc 

 as follows : 



The assimilation surface of one seedling planted single. ... I. 

 The assimilation surface of 2 seedlings planted together. 2-2C 



2.5-3C 

 3.C-4C 

 3-5-5C 

 4.0-6C 



3 



4 

 5 



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