75 
the weather during the period of ripening. Most of these tree 
seeds retain their vitality for only a short time and should the 
weather happen to be dry when they drop, and remain so for 
several days only a few plants come up, while on the other hand 
should there be frequent showers they come up in thousands though 
for want of light and space only a very small proportion survive" 
Cuttings. 
Next to propagation by means of seeds, cuttings is the most 
expeditious method, and the one most commonly adopted when the 
plant is amenable to this system. In some cases, however, it is 
difficult to get cuttings to grow and then in the absence of seeds, 
one or other of the processes to be mentioned hereafter must be 
resorted to. In the majority of cases trees and shrubs grow best 
from pieces of ripe or half-ripe wood which should be cut cleanly 
at a joint and in a slanting direction. Soft-wooded plants, such 
for instance as Coleus. Verbenas, &c. grow best from the points of 
soft tender growing shoots which should be inserted in a mixture 
of light soil containing a large proportion of fine sand. For trees 
and shrubs too there is, in a general way, nothing better to induce 
root formation than soil composed largely of leaf-mould and sand 
though the amount of sand need not be so great as in the case of 
soft-wooded plants. Propagation from leaf cuttings can also in 
some cases be easily effected by inserting them in almost pure sand 
and not over, watering them. Begonias, Gloxinias, Gesneras, and 
other plants of a similar nature, are amenable to this treatment. 
Attention to shading and watering are the main point to be ob- 
served in propagating from cuttings as well as from seeds. 
Grafts. 
Grafting is an ancient method of propagation, the history of 
which has been lost in the mists of antiquity. It is not as many 
seem to suppose a method by which new fruits or flowers are pro- 
duced, but simply a means of multiplying existing forms, and in 
some cases of increasing their rate of growth or capability of pro- 
ducing flowers and fruit. In the case of some varieties of fruit 
trees the object of grafting is not to obtain more rapid growth but 
a greater abundance of fruit ; consequently a slow growing kind of 
stock is selected on which to place the graft; in others more 
vigorous growth is the object aimed at, and then a vigorous quick 
growing stock is selected. There must, however, be a natural 
affinity between the two parts, the stock and the scion, though they 
need not necessarily be of the same species or even of the same 
genus. For instance, there would probably be no difficulty in 
grafting the cultivated forms of the Mango (Mangifera indica) on 
the “ Bach an g (Mangifera foetida) or the nutmeg (Myristica 
fragrans) on Myristica Maingayii or any other of the many wild 
species common to this region. 'I he range of possibilities is 
however, still wider than this, for in some cases complete unity is 
established when the scion and stock are of different genera. The 
limit is, however, bounded by the natural order, and it would be im- 
possible to graft the Mango on the Mangosteen. There are many 
