260 Principles of Gardening physiologically considered. 



to detect the young ones feeding upon them ; but all those 

 which they had partly devoured showed that they were aware 

 of the danger of the sting, for they only eat out the pulpy part 

 of the abdomen. Is it not reason or something very like it, that 

 the parents should place the bees upon the spines of a tree to 

 deprive them of life, no doubt aware of the danger their young 

 might sustain if they fed them upon the living insects, as is their 

 usual habit; and also should choose a dead branch to suit their 

 purpose, on account of the hardness of the spines. I send you 

 these observations as an example how a fact involving an interest- 

 ing speculation as to the mental faculties of these birds might be 

 within the reach of every one who would only pause to observe. 

 Leigham Place, March 20. 1842. 



Art. VII. The Principles of Gardening physiologically considered. 

 By G. Regel, Gardener in the Royal Botanic Garden at Berlin. 



(Translated from the Garten Zeitung.') 



{Continued from p. 199.) 



I. On the Propagation of Plants — continued. 



3. the practical method of propagating by buds. Written in con- 

 junction with my colleague A. Brauer. 



The last section treated of the various parts that proceed 

 from the bud, and thereby showed that most of these are of 

 unlimited formation, and that the normal bud can only be 

 brought to complete developement by art. The present section 

 shall therefore treat principally of the general principles to be 

 followed in propagating by the normal bud, and of its pecu- 

 liarities, and will conclude with a short notice of the bulb and 

 tubercle formations. For this purpose I engaged the assistance 

 of A. Brauer, as he not only has the experience of propagating 

 in this garden, but superintended that department two years in 

 the establishment of M. Haage, jun., and by his means we have 

 collected much valuable information, which we now offer to the 

 public. 



Propagation by buds is of as great importance in gardening 

 as that by seed ; and although it is often attended with greater 

 difficulties than the latter, yet it may be asserted, that almost 

 all the plants that have been discovered can be abundantly pro- 

 pagated by the one way or the other. Propagation by buds is 

 of the greatest importance to our greenhouse plants, as many 

 of them either do not produce seed at all, or they are only ca- 

 pable of doing so when the plants are old, and before they have 

 attained that period they frequently perish. Also, as the species 

 is generally only propagated by seed, and the bud continues 



