34 PEOPAGATIOSr OF PLAUTS. 



taken from the intemodes of some kind of plants, where 

 there are no indications of the existence of dormant 

 buds, will produce both roots and buds. Were it not for 

 our modem facilities — notably, the microscope — we might 

 be inclined to account for the origin of these chance buda 

 by supposing, as claimed by some of the earlier botanists, 

 that the germs or embryo buds were floating about in 

 the sap of the plants, ever ready to develop when an op- 

 portunity offered. 



H. F. Link, a celebrated German botanist of a half 

 century ago, says: " The adventitious buds are distin- 

 guished from the axillary buds by their structure ; in 

 the latter, the greater part of the pith goes with the 

 wood into the supporting leaf, and in the former the 

 entire amount of pith passes into the bud." But Prof. 

 Link's distinction between axillary and adventitious 

 buds were more imaginary than real, and that the pith 

 of even ligneous plants supporting the leaf was long 

 since shown to be erroneous. . Dr. J. M. Schleiden, in 

 his " Principles of Botany," published about forty years 

 ago, in speaking of adventitious buds of perennial plants 

 with vegetation periodically dormant, says : " that the 

 axillary and adventitious buds are only to be distin- 

 guished by the mode of development," and further that, 

 "each stem, whether a common one or a root stem, can 

 develop a bud. These buds are caused, not only by ac- ■ 

 cidental and intentional wounding of the stem, but also 

 by the inclination of plants to develop buds at certain 

 places." However much later botanists may disagree 

 with Prof. Sohleiden in regard to his pet theories and 

 caustic denunciation of some of those advanced by his 

 contemporaries, practical horticulturists of the present 

 day will certainly agree with him as to the appearance 

 p,nd origin of adventitious buds, although, in the chapter 

 previous to the one from which the above remarks are 



copied, he §teteg distinctly tbat^ m Digotyledgos, ''bo 



