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THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



size and certain age; but this is not generally the case, the 

 majority will flower finer, and look much better, when about 

 two or three years old than when kept longer. Small plants 

 are more conveniently kept than large ones, and, by having a 

 young stock always in readiness, there is little chance of 

 losing any of the species. 



Stove-plants, like most other plants, are propagated by a 

 variety of methods, but are more often originated by seeds 

 and cuttings than by any other. Few of them ripen their 

 seeds in this country, but there is no difficulty in obtaining 

 them from abroad, as the intercourse between this country and 

 the East and West Indies, the Cape of Good Hope, and the 

 islands in the South Seas, is so frequent. Many seeds intro- 

 duced lose their vegetative principle from a variety of causes, 

 and hence the frequent disappointments which occur to the 

 cultivator. When seeds are not thoroughly ripened before they 

 arc gathered, or when they are packed up before properly 

 dried, or when they are injured by the effects of moisture 

 tluring the voyage, may be considered as some of the causes. 

 To remedy these defects has occupied the attention of several 

 eminent botanists ; but the conclusions that they have hitherto 

 drawn, do not appear to be completely satisfactory. Un- 

 ripe seeds seldom germinate, because their parts are not yet 

 prepared to form the chemical combinations on which germi- 

 nation depends. Some seeds retain their vegetative properties 

 for many years, while others even commence vegetating before 

 they quit the very seed-vessel ; and, in the case of some fruits, 

 it occurs even before the fruit is ripe, and while yet attached 

 to the parent plant. Some others, if guarded from the effects 

 of external air, will retain their living principle, from forty to 

 probably one hundred years. Seeds of oats have been ascer- 

 tained to have remained during the former period in a sound 

 state, and have freely vegetated when the gi'ound on which 

 they were deposited was ploughed up. From the experiments 

 of Ray and others, w^e learn that seeds will not vegetate if 

 placed in a vacuum, but that the same seeds will grow when 

 air is again admitted to them. 



The enterprising Baron Humboldt found that the process 

 of vegetation was accelerated by steeping seeds in water im- 



