36 



The Grape Culturist. 



PEOPAGATION OF PLANTS. 



To propagate, is the continuance or 

 multiplication of kind by generation 

 or successive production, whether in 

 the animal or vegetable kingdom ; 

 each being governed by the same im- 

 mutable laws. There is not in nature 

 any spontaneous generation, but all 

 come by propagation. 



Nature abhors self fructification ; 

 hence variety. If we wish to mul- 

 tiply varieties, w^e cross fructify. If 

 self fructification always takes place, 

 then each variety of plant would re- 

 produce itself, by its seeds. So great 

 is the abhorrence in plants to self 

 fructification, that florists wishing to 

 continue any rare development, put 

 their plants for seeding under the 

 most strict servility, compelling self 

 fructification. When variety is ob- 

 tained, we continue it by multiplying 

 in the use of the buds, or node and 

 internode. If we examine into the 

 organization of seeds and buds, we 

 find them physiologically very nearly 

 alike ; each containing within itself 

 the same conditions of heat, moisture 

 and light to start germination and 

 continue after growth. In the seeds 

 imbedded and attached to the coty- 

 belous lies the embryo plant, with its 

 stem and indurated pointed radicle. 

 During germination, the cotybelous 

 act the part of the spongiole, and fur- 

 nishes the radicle with proper food un- 

 til it has pushed itself into the soil, 

 when it takes up the liquid plant food 

 surrounding it. Immediately the stem 

 elongates, pushing, the cotybelous 

 above the surface, when their ofiice 

 changes to that of the leaf, gathering 

 in gases and light, reflecting the heat 



ray, absorbing and transmitting the 

 chemical ray, by means of which the 

 food is assimulated for the fui-ther 

 growth and maturity of the plant. 

 In the bud, node and piece of the in- 

 ternode, which is used for the pur- 

 pose of a continuance of vai-iety by 

 propagation, are found the same con- 

 ditions as in the seed. The cambium, 

 by the action of moibture, heat and 

 chemical light, hardens, and, uniting 

 to the alburnum, organizes into root, 

 which push themselves through the 

 liber and epidermis, or outer bark. 



The joint internode to which the 

 bud is attached, supplies, as do the 

 cotybelous, the embryo stem and 

 leaves, encased within the outer scales, 

 with food until the bud has burst into 

 growth, when, if the cutting has been 

 under proper conditions, so that the 

 roots have previously been formed, it 

 receives food from them and con- 

 tinues its growth. 



If we observe the operations of 

 NATURE in the spring time, we find 

 that the roots are at work, pushing 

 themselves in every direction, collec- 

 ting food and sending it forward at 

 a temperature too low for the growth 

 of the bud. During this time, the 

 nodes are elaborating and preparing 

 the food received, for the develop- 

 ment of the bud, until the temperature 

 of the surrounding air has increased 

 to a degree not endangering the ten- 

 der leaf. From the observations thus 

 made, we are now better prepared 

 to understand more clearly the gene- 

 ral principles to be observed in all the 

 varied manipulations of successful 

 propagation of plants, whether the 



