TEGETAliLE STBTTCTUBE.] PRACTICE OF H OETI C ULTUEB. [PBOPAaATIOK. 



the gardener's house, and the compost and 

 melon-ground. The fence on the south side 

 may be" an open railing, and on the north a 

 wall or close holly-edge, the whole surrounded 

 by a plantation near or more distant, according 

 to circumstances. The hot-houses being 

 placed against the north wall, behind them 

 are placed the sheds ; and, on a moderate scale, 

 these may contain a working-room, fruit, and 

 seed-room, tool-houses, and the furnaces. To 

 the open space behind, for composts and hot- 

 beds, there should always be a carriage 



entrance for bringing in earth, fuel, dung, &c. 

 lu the centre of the garden, may be a 

 fountain, or basin of water ; and in the 

 gardener's house an upper bed-room to over- 

 look the whole. In smaller gardens the same 

 general plan is adopted, as far as their extent 

 admits. To comhine ornament with use, the 

 standard fruit trees and shrubs may be planted 

 in borders accompanying the walks ; but where 

 economy of ground is the object, the trees and 

 shrubs may be collected together in compart- 

 ments, and borders altogether omitted." 



CHAPTER IV. 



VEGETABLE STRUCTURES ', PROPAGATING BY SEEDS ; BY BULBS, SUCKERS, AND RUNNERS ; BY SLIPS 



AND OFFSETS ; BY LAYERS ; BY BUDDING AND GRAFTING ; BY IN- ARCHING AND CUTTINGS ; BY 

 SINGLE LEAVES. 



VEGETABLE STRUCTURES. 

 Ix considering the microscopic portion of the 

 vegetable structure, we find that its elementary 

 tissues are few and simple. They consist of 

 organs, to wliich the designation of celh and 

 vessels has been given ; the former taking the 

 shape of minute bladders or vesicles, varying 

 in size and form ; and, united together, consti- 

 tuting what is called a cellular tissue. The 

 latter are closed tubes of an elongated form, 

 often tapering to each end, and, when com- 

 bined, constituting vascular tissue. The dis- 

 tinction between cells and vessels is based 

 on their comparative length; but occasiouallv, 

 cells become lengthened so as not to difi'er 

 from vessels in tliat respect. This is the case 

 with some veins, and also with the filamentous 

 or thread-like tissue of fungi. Where such long 

 cells exist, they are briefly characterised by 

 the thin and delicate nature of tluir texture. 

 The first form of the elementary organs of 

 plants is a closed spherical or elongated 

 vesicle, its walla being composed of a mem- 

 brane, in which a fluid is contained. If, after 

 its development, it still continue closed, it 

 then receives the name of cell; but if a row 

 of vesicles, arranged in lines, become united 

 in the course of development, so as to form a 

 9^2 



tube with an uninterrupted cavity, by absorp- 

 tion of the cross walls, then what has received 

 the name' of a vessel is produced. " On 

 making a transverse section of a succulent 

 stalk," says a modern scientific writer on 

 Botany, " such as that of rhubarb, or of a cu- 

 cumber or melon, we perceive, by the aid of a 

 glass, circumscribed angular meshes and 

 rounded openings ; and, in a longitudinal 

 section of the same stalk, similar meshes are 

 also seen, with long tubes of various kinds. 

 The membrane, forming the walls of both 

 cells and vessels, is composed of a substance 

 called cellulose, in many respects resembling 

 starch, but dilfering in giving a yellow in place 

 of a blue colour with iodine. The membrane 

 has, in general, no visible pores or perfora- 

 tions, but fluid matters pass tlunnigh it 

 easily. Some plants — such as sea-weeds, 

 mushrooms, and lichens — consist of cellular 

 tissue alone, and hence are called Cellular 

 plants ; while others — such as ordinary flower- 

 ing plants — consist of cells and vessels com- 

 bined, and receive the name of Vascular 

 plants." 



PROPAGATING BY SEEDS. 

 Among the most curious, as well as difiicult, 



