with the Results of some Experiments. 1*21 



alburnous fluid must, doubtless, all undergo the same process 

 of elaboration; consequently, must possess a unity of character: 

 the whole mass must be applicable to one purpose only, either 

 for the creation of bark, wood, and leaves, or of flowers and 

 fruit. It cannot be credited, that the same agent that gives to 

 the capsicum stem and leaves the green colour and insipid 

 taste, is capable of communicating the inveterate acrimony of 

 taste to the seed, and high colour to the capsule. For my own 

 part, I can see no way of overcoming the difficulty of account- 

 ing for the difference of colour, taste, and smell, held respect- 

 ively by what I shall here designate as the two grand divisions 

 of the vegetable structure, except a plurality of fluidal systems 

 be admitted. In short, the fact that these properties can be 

 affected by the manner in which a plant is treated, is conclusive: 

 colour, in particular, may be altered by treatment, without inter- 

 fering with any of the other properties ; a fact clearly demon- 

 strative of the independent action of the different systems. 



There are many other facts which might be brought to bear 

 upon this interesting subject; and I may particularise the dahlia 

 as constituting a lucid example. Strictly speaking, the dahlia 

 is not a double-flowering plant; still, I affirm that no plant ever 

 introduced into our British gardens has been so rapidly improved. 

 Great are the changes that have been effected in the colour, size, 

 and form of its flowers ; still the stem and leaves have kept a 

 uniform similarity, differing but little in appearance since the day 

 of its introduction ; a fact clearly proving that one of the grand 

 divisions of the fluidal systems in plants may be affected by foreign 

 influence, without detriment to the others. The improved con- 

 dition of the dahlia, in regard to its flowers, I do not consider 

 to be a consequence either of contact or of alimentary surfeit ; 

 but that it owes its origin to treatment in accordance with the 

 theory herein contended for. Competitors at dahlia exhibitions, 

 from observation, have learned the propriety of preventing an 

 excessive bloom on their best sorts, seldom permitting more than 

 three or four of the flowers to expand. By this means the sphere 

 of the seminal fluid is curtailed, and the excess thus produced, 

 acting upon a concenti'ated field of operation, undoubtedly 

 causes the departure of the progeny from the habit of the 

 parent : whereas, if the whole of the flowers which appear upon 

 a plant were permitted to expand successively, the seminal fluid 

 would then be equally distributed, in such proportion to each 

 seed as would accomplish the intentions of nature ; namely, con- 

 sentient reproduction. The following experiment, performed by 

 me some years since, is so strongly corroborative of what is 

 here advanced, that I cannot resist giving it in brief detail. 



At that period, I had a quantity of single scarlet ten-week stocks. 

 Impressed with the belief that my theory was worth a trial, I 

 selected a number of the plants; and, as soon as I observed five 



