44 
SEEDS OF PLANTS. 
togamia plants, and to retain for the tree all that naturally be- 
longs to it. 
I find I have been accused, by gentlemen of the first ability, 
for not mixing philosophical trials with my specimens and de- 
scriptions, simply meant to illustrate the formation, habit, and 
manner of plants. As it was my original plan to proceed no far- 
ther yet, and that I am rather proud of keeping to that resolution, 
when acting otherwise would be so pleasant, I shall now lay 
before the public my reasons for so doing. I have long been 
persuaded, that all experiments of the kind are perfectly useless, 
nay, highly injurious, to the science, till a thorough knowledge 
of the form, habit, and nature of a plant is obtained. How, 
indeed, could a surgeon judge of a wound he had made, and 
draw any just inference from its appearance, without a thorough 
knowledge of anatomy, and a perfect insight into the part 
affected, and of the vessels touched ? A person performing 
trials of this kind on a tree, cuts into it without the smallest 
idea at the time of doing it, what his knife is passing through, 
or the danger of his destroying the rising productions that are 
1 he different travellinsr upwards, between the cylinders, to their several places 
parts mount- . ° ^ 
log the tree, of destination. I have said, that two months in the year the 
seeds are constantly mounting the tree j a little earlier the pol- 
len is travelling also to the summit ; and when this is not the 
case, the leaf-bud, forming at the pre-existing shoot, is sending ' 
up its leaf-stems through the new branch of the present year. 
All this must make so great a difference in cutting a tree, as to 
leave the person (who knows not of their existence, and yet is 
to judge of the consequences of the cut) in an absolute per- 
plexity. A thorough acquaintance, also, with the vessels 
(which are various) is most necessary. The motion of the 
wood is so continual, that if, by certain signs, he has not learnt 
to know its direction, and appreciate the ultimate consequences 
of its change of place, how is he to proceed ? No other way 
than by studying diligently, and waiting, with perfect patience, 
till that knowledge is acquired, which will fit him for such a 
superior undertaking ; or he will be like a man who begins to 
build his house by the attics, throwing scaffolding from the 
neigh- 
