Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-29
A KNOT ON A TREE.
The Question stin up and the Case OF
the Milestone, etc.
no the Tobaoeo Loaf. ohronlole.!

and was answered by you in such
dogmatic fashion that had expected
to see you overwhelmed with the
views and supposed facts of the OPP
position on this. AS they seem con-
tent to let judgment go against them
by default let us make, it as impartial
but comprehensive as we can.
You affirm that any given point on
the body of a growing tree ascends
in some degree, as the tree grows,
and cite the fact, as observed by you
of the growth of hedge trees, which
have been partially cut and bent
down. This l will supplement by
the statement of one of your most
substantial citizens, who remembers
being one OF party resurveying a
tract of land, the lines of which were
run some forty years previously.
The deed called for a certain kind of
tree, marked as stated, at some point
in the line; the tree was there, but the
marks could not be found until some
one on horseback observed them on
the trunk at a point higher than his
head as he sat on his horse. The up
ward movement Of these marks by
the growth Of the tree was asserted
and denied, and with such warmth
that savage fight between two
nighbors and friends was barely
averted, but the tree and its marks
was accepted as the velitable tree of
the record.
One of Clarksville's foremost men,
noted alike for his accurate observa-
ton and retentive memory, told a
party of friends-some years ago
the following story, the scene of
which was near his bOyhoOd home.
A milestone having become useless
from wear or injury was discarded
and thrown flat upon the ground near
the mill. 1t became a favorite resort
of the children near by, especially
when they had walnuts or hickory
nuts to crack, and in time it was
seen that one of these nuts had fallen
into the opening in the center of the
stone and sprOuting, had started on
the journey Of life as an infant tree.
The little plant was watched and pro
tected and in time had grown until
it filled the entire opening in the
stone, but it did not stop at that, for
its growth continued till the stone
was lifted entirely above the ground,
so that those who, as children, had
known it in its days of prostration,
could now as grown men and women
sit upon its arisen face and swing
their feet to and fro without touching
the earth.
There are many points of differ
ence in the growth of indigenous
and exogenous plants, but the essen
tial points in their laws of growth
are so similar as to justify us in COM
pairing tobacco plant and tree.
Every one who has ever stopped"
plant of tobacco knows that the small
young leaves are very close together,
say to inch apart where they join
the stalk, and that when the topped
plant is matured these leaves are
from to inches apart. Here is
a case in which a given point on a
growing plant does ascend, and il is
done so quickly that we can verify it
many times in our lives. | say the
point ascends, because there is
greater interval between the leaves
at the stalk when matured, than at
an earlier stage, and this could only
happen by an upward lengthening of
the stalk, and it is most reasonable to
say that a similar movement takes
place in tree.
The Lima bean when planted puts
forth shoot under ground which
takes root and growing in the oppo-
site direction actually forces the bean
out of the earth into the air, where it
parts and assumes the position of
leaves. The feet of children often
attain their growth and their arms
full length before other parts of the
body reach the full measure of ma
turity.
Growth seems to occur in every di-
rection upward, as in the central
branch which seems ever striving for
greater heights outward, us the later
al branches thrust out their tips
for more sunshine and air,
downward, rs the roots continually
piercing fresh earth, whose substance
has not already been extracted, to
make body, branches and leaves for
the whole. Surely in such universal
activity of all the varied parts, in
every conceivable direction, there
cannot be laggard point 50 unmind-
full of its duty and obligations to its
related parts as to stand "stock still"
Such action is reserved for superior
man. have stated two well known
instances in plant life of the upward
movement of a given point, and as
sert that have seen the same move.
ment in the earliest stages of growth
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