GOETHE ON THE METAMORPHOSIS OF PLANTS, 29 
describes as difficult and hazardous ;* if I have not entirely succeeded 
in levelling it, and clearing it of every obstacle for those who come 
after me, I may yet hope that this endeavour will not be altogether 
fruitless. 
108. It will be proper here to mention the theory by which Linnæus 
sought to explain the phenomena of which the foregoing pages treat. 
Things such as those therein discussed, could not have escaped his 
penetrating eye; and if we are now able to advance, where his pro- 
gress was checked, we are indebted for this to the many observers and 
thinkers who have removed obstacles from our path, and overcome 
prejudices. An exact comparison of his theory with that above pro- 
pounded, would detain us too long. The scientific reader will easily 
compare them for himself ; and such a comparison must necessarily enter 
too much into detail, if made intelligible to those who have never 
considered the subject. We will only point out briefly what hindered 
Linnæus from making farther progress, and prevented his reaching 
the goal. 
109. In the first place, his observations were made on trees ;+—long- 
lived plants of a complicated nature. He noticed that a tree planted 
in à large pot and copiously supplied with water, produced branch after 
branch for several years in succession ; but that if planted in a smaller 
pot, it speedily produced both flowers and fruit. He perceived that a 
development, which is generally gradual, may thus be forced to take 
place at once. He therefore designated this operation of nature by 
the name of “ Prolepsis,”—anticipation,—because the plant appeared 
to anticipate by six years, the six steps of which we have spoken above, 
He chiefly explained his theory by the buds of trees, without paying 
any particular attention to annual plants; else he would have been 
aware that his theory did not hold equally good with regard to them, 
For according to his teaching, we must assume that all annual plants 
were properly intended by nature to be six years in coming to per- 
fection ; but that this longer period is suddenly anticipated at the time 
of flowering and fruiting, after which they as,suddenly wither, 
* Ferber, in Præfatione Dissertationis secunde de Prolepsi Plantarum. 
. T “Si arbusculam, quee in ollà antea posita, quotannis floruit et fructus protulit, 
deinde deponamus in uberiori terra cahdi caldarii, proferet illa per plures anuos 
multos ac frondosos ramos, sine ullo fructu, Id quod argumento est, folia inde eres- 
cere, unde prius enati sunt flores; quemadmodum vicissim, quod in folia nunc suc- 
crescit, id, natur ita moderante, in flores mutatur, si eadem arbor iterum iu ollà 
seritur," (Linn. * Prolepsis,’ $ iii.) 




