PROPAGATION BY EYES, CUTTINGS, ETC. 355 



pagated in a much more expeditious manner by other modes. 

 Some of these methods will form the subjects of this section. 



I. Propagation by eyes and buds. The propagation by 

 any other means than by seeds, depends upon the presence of 

 leaf-buds, or what are technically called '' fj/cs," which are 

 in reality, the rudiments of branches attached to the stem or 

 tuber. These eyes are capable, under certain conditions, of 

 producing new parts, of exactly the same nature, as those 

 from which they sprung. 



Sometimes, as in the lily, they separate from the plant, and 

 take root, producing an independent plant ; at others, they 

 remain on the stem, and send out branches, flowers and fruit. 



In theory, all plants appear capable of being propagated in 

 this way. But the fact is, that the vital power of buds is suf- 

 ficient in only a few plants, to enable us to be successful ; 

 only two are by this practice re-produced ; these are the 

 potato and the vine. The method of propagation by the 

 former, is too well known to need description ; that of the 

 latter, is as follows. The eye, with a small portion of the 

 stem, is commonly taken, and placed in earth, with a bot- 

 tom heat of 75° or 80°, in a damp atmosphere. In a short 

 time, it shoots upwards into a branch, and sends down roots 

 to establish itself in the soil. It is necessary, that a consid- 

 erable portion of the albumen should be planted with the eye 

 in this case, as the bud itself does not contain matter suffi- 

 cient for its development ; this, it must obtain from the stalk ; 

 and, if the quantity is increased, that is, if the whole vine is 

 buried, the sprout is much more vigorous. There are a few 

 cases, in which the buds are fixed in embryo upon the leaves, 

 so that new plants may be propagated from them, but this 

 mode is never resorted to in practice, unless it be in some 

 species of the cactus. 



II. Propagation by cuttings or sUj^s is the most common 

 of all modes, with the exception of grafting. This process 

 depends upon the eyes or buds, and consists simply in cutting 



