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mer, in seedling plants, may be regarded as predominant, 

 does not appear quite evident, probably the effect depends 

 partly on each of these supposed causes. They are more- 

 over, sooner in arriving at a fruit-bearing state, by reason 

 of a universal natural law, by which the inflorescence and 

 fructification of a plant becomes more general and perfect, 

 in proportion as the plant attains proximity to its perfect 

 developement ; which effect, is owing to the more perfect 

 elaboration and preparation of the materials, which when 

 so prepared, furnish the means of perfecting the organs 

 of reproduction. For the same reason, the operation of 

 budding a portion of a seedling fruit tree, on a matured 

 stem, is practised, in order to accelerate its fruitfulness ; 

 which result generally follows, in consequence of the 

 difference existing in the nature of the food elaborated by 

 the mature plant, and that deposited by one in an infant 

 state. Thus it is also, that cuttings of flowering plants 

 generally, are far sooner in arriving at a blooming state, 

 than seedling plants of the same species : flowers and 

 fruit being formed only by the aid of the perfectly elabo- 

 rated sap ; which is taken up into the system, and assimi- 

 lated in the plant, in proportion to the number of healthy 

 and mature leaves, in a full state of action : during the 

 younger stages of growth, the crude material imbibed 

 from the soil, is only partially elaborated, and in this 

 state, is only converted into food suitable and destined to 

 increase the foliaceous organs ; but when these latter are 

 in full and vigorous action, a supply of matter, not in- 

 creased in quantity, but enriched in quality, becomes laid 

 up in the store-house and structure of the plants ; and it 

 is by means of this matter, aided by the natural agents, 

 that the nature of the developement is changed from 

 being simply that of the organs of nutrition, to that of 

 the more perfect and important organs of reproduction. 

 Besides the precocity of plants propagated by cuttings, 

 there is also another advantage resulting from the prac- 



