132 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
[Part II. 
of their leaves. And it is a knock-me-down blow 
to those more commonplace grovellers who, with 
myself in their rear, fancy that roots may be 
necessary for the growth of timber. But I think 
that Mr. Wallis must have been mistaken. The 
effect he describes is precisely what we should 
expect if the stem were sawed quite round , but 
not quite through . Then the thorn would be in 
precisely the same situation as the barked horse- 
chestnut which I have just described. The sap 
would flow from the roots up that part of the 
heart-wood which was not sawed through, and 
in its descent through the bark would deposit 
new growth as low as the wound, but no lower. 
Below the wound no growth would occur; and 
the roots, unless the stem broke out below, being 
unfed, would, in the course of years, die. If 
this is not the true solution, if the fact stated 
by Mr. Wallis is a fact, then let us see it again. 
•Nothing can be more easy than to repeat the 
experiment. Let those who, with Mr. Wallis 
and the great Liebig, consider the root as a mere 
pedestal for the mechanical support of the tree 
and not for the supply of its food, let them try 
this experiment on their wall-fruit trees. These 
trees are already nicely “ suspended in the air 
by their branches: ” cut the stems below the 
