GARDENING, 107 



vidual from which it is formed. 'From these secre- 

 tions,' as discharged by the foliage into the system of 

 the plant, 'the fruit has the power of attracting such 

 portions as are necessary for its maturation. Hence it 

 follows, that the more we can increase the peculiar secre- 

 tions of a plant, the higher will become the quality 

 of the fruits and vice versa. Pruning and training, and 

 the exposure of branches to the most light in the sun- 

 niest aspects, promote the former effect.' 



The next subject to be considered is, 'the mode of 

 multiplying improved varieties of parts, so as to con- 

 tinue in the progeny exactly the same qualities, as 

 existed in the parent.' Seeds will not perpetuate a 

 variety undeviatingly; buds will. 'A plant is really an 

 animated body, composed of infinite multitudes of sys- 

 tems of life; all indeed, united in a whole, but each 

 having a power of emitting descending fibres in the 

 form of roots, and also of ascending in the form of 

 stem. The first of these buds is the embryo [in a 

 seed;] the others are subsequently formed on the stem 

 emitted by the embryo. As these secondary buds de- 

 velope, their descending roots combine and form the 

 wood, their ascending stems give rise again to new 

 buds. These buds are all exactly like each other; they 

 have the same constitution, the same organic structure, 

 and the individuals they are capable of producing 

 are, consequently, all identically the same ; allowance 

 of course being made for such accidental injuries or 

 alterations as they may sustain during their subsequent 

 growth. It is upon the existence of such a remarkable 

 physiological peculiarity in plants that propagation 

 entirely depends; an evident proof of which may be 

 seen in this circumstance : take a cutting of a vine con- 

 sisting of the space which lies between two buds, an 

 internodium, as botanists would call the piece, and no 

 art will succeed in ever making it become a new plant, 

 however considerable the size of the internodium may 

 be. But, on the other hand, take the bud of a vine, 

 without any portion of the stem adhering to it, and it 

 will throw out stem and root, and become a new plant 

 immediately.' The various modes of artificial propar 



