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strongly-blooming plants. Writing upon this mode, 

 G. A. Lake, Esq., F.L.S., of Tulse Hill House, gives 

 us the following judicious observations and directions. 

 From cuttings emitted by a single root, under proper 

 treatment, several dozens of young plants may be 

 raised in a short space of time. Consequently, this 

 method is universally adopted by nurserymen ; they 

 annually requiring a large stock of young plants for 

 sale ; and by individuals anxious to propagate exten- 

 sively a new variety. But it ought not to be practised 

 by amateurs or others, anxious to obtain fine perfect 

 flowers for exhibition or otherwise, for plants raised 

 from cuttings do not produce equally perfect flowers, 

 in regard to size, form, and fulness, with those pro- 

 duced by plants grown from division of the tubers, the 

 old method of propagating the dahlia. It has been 

 said that plants raised from cuttings, flower more 

 abundantly than those raised by division ; but to this 

 we are not prepared to subscribe. 



Physiological botany readily accounts for the dif- 

 ferent results of the two methods. The starch, or 

 feculent matter, stored in the roots, is intended by 

 nature for the nutrition of the animal shoots ; not 

 only until the tubers have formed, at the commence- 

 ment of the vegetating season, the spongioles neces- 

 sary for the absorption of the required quantity of 

 pabula ; but also when the spongioles are unable, 

 from drought, or any other causes, to absorb a suf- 



