108 FAMILY RECEIPTS. 



gation, such as increasing by eyes, striking from 

 cuttings, laying, budding and grafting, 'all consist in 

 the application of these principles under various 

 forms.' — Increasing by eyes or buds is illustrated by in- 

 stances of the vine. Striking by cuttings consists in 

 placing a stem, bearing more buds than one, 'in circum- 

 stances fit for the continuance of life;' and this method 

 has an advantage over propagation by single buds, as 

 'the stem of the cutting forms an important reservoir of 

 nutriment' for the buds it bears, until they can emit 

 roots into the soil to cater for themselves. That bud 

 which is nearest the bottom of the cutting emits its 

 roots 'first into the earth,' and a 'good operator always 

 takes care that the lower end of his cutting is pared 

 down as close to the base of the bed as may be prac- 

 ticable, without actually destroying any part of the 

 bud itself: by this means the first emitted roots, instead 

 of having to find their way downwards between the 

 bark and wood, strike at once into the earth, and be- 

 come a natural channel by which nutriment is conveyed 

 into the general system of the cutting.' 



'Laying is nothing but striking from cuttings, that 

 are still allowed to maintain their connexion with the 

 mother plant, by means of a portion, at least of their 

 stem. Tongueing the layer, 'has the effect of enabling 

 the roots to be emitted into the soil through the wound 

 more readily than if they had to pierce through the bark/ 



Budding and Grafting. — Budding differs from grafting 

 in this, that a portion of the stem is not made to strike 

 root on another stem; but that on the contrary, a bud 

 deprived of all trace of the woody part of a stem is 

 introduced beneath the bark of the stock, and there in- 

 duced to strike root. 'In performing either of these 

 operations, the great point to be attended to is to secure 

 the exact contact of similar parts.' 



Transplanting, — The success of this important opera- 

 tion, the writer conceives, may be proved to depend 

 exclusively upon these two conditions: 1. The preser- 

 vation of the spongioles of the roots; and 2. The 

 prevention of excessive evaporation. The spongioles 

 are the extremities of the fibres, and consist of bundles 



