34 
THE FOOD OF TREES IS IMBIBED [Part II. 
sphere is moist and warmer than the trees. 
For this fact I shall quote the admirable out¬ 
door observer, White of Selborne: “ In heavy 
fogs, on elevated situations especially, trees are 
perfect alembics; and no one who has not at¬ 
tended to such matters can imagine how much 
water one tree will distil in a night’s time, by 
condensing the vapour which trickles down the 
twigs and boughs, so as to make the ground 
below quite in a float. In Newton Lane, in 
October, 1775, on a misty day, a particular oak, 
in leaf\ dropped so fast that the cart-way stood 
in puddles, and the ruts ran with water, though 
the ground in general was dusty.” And that 
part of a road which is overshadowed by a tree 
may, in summer, play the part of Gideon’s fleece. 
In rain, it may be dry and dusty, when all be¬ 
yond it is moist; and, in condensing weather, 
it may be drenched, when all beyond it is dry 
and dusty. This condensation much more than 
makes up for the small quantity of rain-water 
which is arrested by the leaves. 
Roget. remarks: u We have here a striking 
instance of that beautiful correspondence which 
has been established between processes belonging 
to different departments of nature, and which 
are made to concur in the production of remote 
