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as similar spermatic cords are sent off from the 

 old root, after the leaves of the stems are ex- 

 panded in the air to oxygenate the juice, and 

 in this way generate new tuberous or bulbous 

 roots ; a mode that is resembled above ground 

 in the wires of strawberries. 



These embryon vegetables, in the different 

 bulbous and tuberous roots, are in different 

 states of maturity, as was the case in the buds 

 of trees: thus " in the potatoe the corculum or 

 plumula of the new plant is only visible, sur- 

 rounded with a farinaceous nutriment, as in 

 manv seeds," while in the tulip and hyacinth 

 the flower of the succeeding is discernible, as 

 in the bud of the horse chesnut. 



The ripening of the seed of some bulbous- 

 rooted plants is promoted by destroying the new 

 bulbs; and in others the flowering-bulbs are 

 made stronger by taking them out of the earth, 

 and removing the leaf-bulbs, as practised in 

 the culture of the tulip and hyacinth. 



As the bulbous and tuberous roots of plants 

 are a lateral or paternal progeny, like the buds of 

 trees, and of course exactly resemble the parent 

 plants, they may be liable to become unhealthy 

 by being affected with hereditary diseases; as is 

 the case in canker in apple-trees long propa- 

 gated by grafting ; the aid in potatoes conti- 

 nued for a great length of time by roots, and 

 the barrenness in hautboy strawberries too long 

 increased by wires. 



In the set of bulbs produced above ground on 

 the flower-stems in the place of seeds, as 

 happens in the magical onion, leak, and some 

 other plants; thev, after undergoing proper ma- 

 turation, drop off and take root in the earth. 

 With respect to these it is remarked by Doctor 

 Darwin, that " though a perfect flower precedes 

 the product of some summit-bulbs, he suspects 

 that in others, as the magical onion, they are ex- 

 actly similar to the bulbs produced at the roots, 

 as on cutting one horizontally into two hemi- 

 spheres in September, he perceived u three 

 young bulbs inclosed in the concentric fleshy 

 membranes of the summit-bulb" in this 

 manner: on taking away five thick fleshy con- 

 centric coats, there appeared a single naked 

 small bulb ; and on the removal of the sixth, 

 two others became evident, which were included 

 in it. Hence it is concluded that these stem- 

 bulbs are as forward as those of the root, and 

 probably in every respect similar; and that 

 " the bractes or floral-leaves, which in seed- 

 hearing plants secrete or prepare a nourishment 

 for the bud and pericarp of the flower, acquire 

 in these bulbiferous onions and leeks a new 

 office, and prepare a magazine of nourishment 

 in the concentric membranes which surround 



their summit bulbs;" and may of course be 

 considered " a sexual viviparous progeny of 

 vegetables." 



It is a question by no means yet decided, 

 whether the plants from these bulbs are liable to 

 have the exact resemblance of their parents, or 

 to be affected with hereditary diseases, in conse- 

 quence of being long cultivated in succession, 

 as has been supposed to be the case in those 

 noticed above. 



BULBOUS ROOTS, such roots as arc 

 formed in the above manner, and which differ 

 from those of the tuberous kind, which are en- 

 tirely solid and fleshy. 



They comprehend several esculent plants of 

 the kitchen-garden, as garliek, onion, leek, 

 shallot, &.c. and many flowery plants of the 

 hardy herbaceous perennial sorts; capable of 

 succeeding in beds and borders in the open 

 ground; and others for the stove and green- 

 house. 



The chief flowering sorts are : those of the 

 amaryllis kind, including the Guernsey lily, 

 bella-donna lily, Jacobaealily, :.: the narcissus 

 or daffodil kind, including jonquils, hyacinths, 

 tulips, fritillaria, and crown imperial. The 

 lily, including martagons; ornithogalum, or 

 star of Bethlehem ; galanthus, or snow-drop ; 

 leucojum, or great snow-drop ; scilla, or sea- 

 onion ; colchicum ; albuca, or bastard star of 

 Bethlehem ; muscaria, or musk and grape hya- 

 cinth ; iris, the bulbous and Persian ; hasman- 

 thus, or blood-flower; crocus, including; spring 

 and autumn kinds ; bulbocodium ; pancratium, 

 or sea daffodil ; and various others. 



Most sorts of bulbous roots increase rapidly 

 by off-sets, in which manner all the particular 

 sorts are continued, but the new varieties are ob- 

 tained from seed. 



The duration of bulbous rooted plants is dif- 

 ferent according to the kinds, being in some 

 not more than a year after having attained a 

 flowering-stalk, but in others longer. Previous 

 to their dissolution they afford from their sides, 

 or other parts, a supply of new buds, suckers, 

 or off-sets, to perpetuate the respective kinds; 

 so that, at the end of several years, what is con- 

 sidered as the same individual root is in fact a 

 new one. 



All bulbous-rooted plants renew their leaves 

 and flower-stems annually; the principal seasons 

 for the latter being those of the spring and. 

 summer; some producing their flowers at one 

 time, and their leaves at another, as in some of 

 the amaryllis and colchicum kinds; others their 

 flowers and leaves together, as the hyacinth,, 

 tulip, narcissus, &c. The leaves and flower- 

 stems of all the sorts, likewise, perish annually 



