124 Report from 
the plants had been treated as I shall now describe. I first eut 
off the leaves from the lower part of the plant, about two feet 
and a half of its length, leaving about an inch of the footstalk 
of each on the plant, the end of which was then drawn very care- 
fully through the hole, under the plate, without injuring the ten- 
der part of the shoot ; the pot being removed, the bail or root 
of the plant was placed two feet distant from the front of the 
house, upon its side, so that the stem lay in a horizontal posi- 
tion, about six inches below the level of the surface of the bor- 
der. When thus placed, the whole of the stem which was to be 
covered was slit or tongued, at each eye, like a carnation layer, 
by passing a sharp knife at three-quarters of an inch below each 
eye, and on the side of the eye, about one-third of the thickness 
into the wood, and then upwards to the centre of the joint. This 
being done, the stem was covered with about four inches of old 
tan, and the other two inches were filled up with the mould of 
the border. It is essential to the safety of the plant that the 
slitting be done the last thing, and whilst it is laid in its position, 
lest the stem should be broken. 
The effect of the operation of slitting the stem is the produc- 
tion of abundance of roots from every eye; the progress is not 
very great until the roots begin to push out: after these shoot, 
it is surprising how fast the vines grow. 
I gave a little fire in the house for the first mouth after plant- 
ing, though sparingly, and air was admitted into it continually, 
util the plants had got sufficient hold of the border ; air was then 
admitted in the day, but the house was shut up atnight. Under 
this treatment, the shoots of the present season of these young 
plants are from twenty-five to thirty feet long, and their strength 
is fully proportionate to their length, 
It is not my intention to grow any thing on the border, which 
will exhaust it, or deprive the vines of their full nourishment. To 
protect their roots in the winter, I shall use a covering of old 
tan, about six inehes thick, which I prefer to dung or mulch of 
any description, 
I have this season planted vines in the same way, in other 
houses, besides the one I have now mentioned, and with equal 
success. 
XXXIV. Report from the National Vaccine Establishment. 
To the Right Honourable Rowerr PEEL, Principal Secretary 
of State for the Home Department. 
National Vaccine Establishment, Percy Street, Jan. 31. 
Sirn,— V accra’ TION has now been submitted to the test of an- 
other year’s experience, and the result is an increase of our con- 
fidence 
