i88 Mr. Knight's Experiments and Observations 
induced naturalists to draw conclusions in direct opposition to 
the preceding. But the Plates of that great naturalist are not 
always taken correctly from nature;* and Plates, under such 
circumstances, however fair and candid the intentions of an 
author may be, will too often be found somewhat better calcu- 
lated to support his own hypothesis, than to elucidate the facts 
he intends to state. 
The preceding peculiarities in the growth of inverted cuttings, 
appear to have escaped the observation of Du Hamel ; and, as 
very few instances of error, or want of accurate observation, will 
ever be found in the works of that excellent naturalist, I must 
request permission to send you some of the subjects of my ex- 
periments, as vouchers for my own accuracy. 
Of the inverted cuttings employed by Du Hamel, a small 
portion only appears to have remained above the ground ; and, 
under such circumstances, the different forms of those growing 
in their natural, or inverted, position would be scarcely ob- 
servable. It appears also, from his experiments, that such in- 
verted cuttings, in subsequent years, grow with as much vigour 
as others that are not inverted ; whence we must conclude, that 
the organization of the internal bark becomes again inverted, 
and adapted to the position of the branch. The growth of some 
inverted plants of the gooseberry-tree, which I obtained, many 
years ago, from layers, gave me reason to draw a different con- 
clusion ; for these always continued weak and dwarfish. I do 
not, however, entertain the slightest degree of doubt, but that 
the assertion of Du Hamel is perfectly correct. 
I intended to have added some bbservations on the repro- 
* The eleventh Plate (Vegetable staticks) is that to which, in this place, I particu- 
larly allude. 
