this respect resembles the branches of coralline, which are a congeries of
a multitude of animals. Each of these buds of a tree has its proper leaves
or petals for lungs, produces its viviparous or its oviparous offspring in
buds or seeds; has its own roots, which extending down the stem of the tree
are interwoven with the roots of the other buds, and form the bark, which
is the only living part of the stem, is annually renewed, and is
superinduced upon the former bark, which then dies, and with its stagnated
juices gradually hardening into wood forms the concentric circles, which we
see in blocks of timber.

The following circumstances evince the individuality of the buds of trees.
First, there are many trees, whose whole internal wood is perished, and yet
the branches are vegete and healthy. Secondly, the fibres of the barks of
trees are chiefly longitudinal, resembling roots, as is beautifully seen in
those prepared barks, that were lately brought from Otaheita. Thirdly, in
horizontal wounds of the bark of trees, the fibres of the upper lip are
always elongated downwards like roots, but those of the lower lip do not
approach to meet them. Fourthly, if you wrap wet moss round any joint of a
vine, or cover it with moist earth, roots will shoot out from it. Fifthly,
by the inoculation or engrafting of trees many fruits are produced from one
stem. Sixthly, a new tree is produced from a branch plucked from an old
one, and set in the ground. Whence it appears that the buds of deciduous
trees are so many annual plants, that the bark is a contexture of the roots
of each individual bud; and that the internal wood is of no other use but
to support them in the air, and that thus they resemble the animal world in
their individuality.

The irritability of plants, like that of animals, appears liable to be
increased or decreased by habit; for those trees or shrubs, which are
brought from a colder climate to a warmer, put out their leaves and