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reservoir of water, the steam from which passes through the bed 
of Charcoal which is placed above it. Upon the Charcoal, 
small glass frames, of the commonest kind, are placed, to exclude 
the air from the cuttings in their early age. It may be sug- 
gested, and indeed would immediately strike any one who 
examines the apparatus, that the success may be owing to the 
moist heat in which the cuttings are constantly kept. No 
question it is so in part, but I am quite satisfied the extraor- 
dinary results I witnessed are quite as much owing to the men- 
struum of propagation as to the decided advantage above stated; 
and I doubt whether peat and sand, under any circumstances, 
would cause the quantity of roots to be produced which I saw 
there at the end of three weeks’ insertion in the bed. It is 
necessary that the Charcoal should be fine, but not in dust, 
which will consolidate and prevent the fibres penetrating in 
every direction, as they do when it is of the proper size. In 
some part of the process, fine peat is mixed with the Charcoal ; 
but I think this is rather in the rooting afterwards, and that the 
first process of striking, in most species, succeeds best in the 
pure material. From what has been stated, it is clear the 
necessary apparatus is simple of application, and of little cost; 
a part of any flued pit, or one heated by hot water, would 
answer every purpose ; though in any nursery, or even gentle- 
man’s establishment, the making one on purpose would be of 
trifling expense, compared to the results, as, owing to the 
rapidity of the operation, a very small bed would suffice. With 
respect to the virtues of Charcoal itself, producing the results 
we are considering, I have little doubt that they consist prin- 
cipally in the porous and perfectly permeable nature of it. 
The heat and moisture are constantly present and passing 
through, without any saturation or stagnation, or induration, 
taking place. There may be something in the vegetative 
powers of it, but I imagine this to be the true cause of the 
superiority over any other material as yet known for pro- 
pagation.” 
It is certain that plants of every sort are chiefly composed of 
Charcoal; for, if burnt, the residuum will always be Charcoal, 
provided combustion be not carried so far as to dissipate the 
carbon, its chief ingredient, and leave only ashes. This being 
the case, the question arises, whence do they obtain it ? Some 
