398 ' On Propmjating Dcilmma hy Cuttinys. 
stances, of exerting its various vital functions throughout the winter, and 
finally, as I hoped, of producing perfect flowers and seeds in the ensu¬ 
ing spring. On referring to my diary, I find, that on the 28th of Aug., 
1831, one cutting was placed under a glass, such as a tumbler, or small 
bell-glass. This cutting was about three inches long; it was taken off 
at the axilla of a leaf, that is, at the angle formed between the foot-stalk 
of the leaf and the main, or other principal stem of the plant. The soil 
in the pot was composed of very light sandy loam and peat earth, and 
the pot was immersed in the mould of the melonry. This cutting evin¬ 
ced certain signs of the formation of perfect roots, on the 12th of Sept, 
and on the 18th, four other cuttings were placed in a similar situation ; 
all of them succeeded, and each became covered with blossoms, though 
it was scarcely four inches in height. On the 12th October the cutting 
of Aug. 28th, was eleven inches high; the stem was somewhat slender, 
and drawn up, owing to the absence of sunlight, but it was furnished 
with nine perfect semi-double flowers, the ground colour of w'hich was 
a pale French-white, and this was beautifully striped with a deep pinkish 
scarlet. When I witnessed the unexpected result of my experiment, I 
communicated it in a paper addressed to the Horticultural Society, with¬ 
out delay. 
It remains only to remark, that Balsams may be forced into flower 
at the close of the autumn;—that the cuttings of the young shoots at 
the axillae, or angles of the leaves, of the length of two, three, or four 
inches, will almost invariably produce rooted, flowering plants, provided 
they be placed singly, an inch deep, in small pots of rich light earth, 
and then plunged in a very gentle bottom heat, under glass. These are 
horticultural facts, which I believe to be decidedly established; and I 
also consider, that in all probability such plants, if every flower-bud be 
timely removed, can be preserved during the winter, in a dry stove^ or 
well-aired and warm greenhouse. I am not, however, enabled to speak 
unhesitatingly on the latter particular, because I was not prepared to 
afford the required shelter during November, and the early part of 
December, as my house was in an unfinished state, and the pit in which 
the young plants were placed, was far too much exposed to early damps 
and hoar frosts. I have fully succeeded, however, in securing a succes¬ 
sion of other tender herbaceous and annual plants, by cuttings taken off 
in September or October; among which I may mention particularly, 
one of the Coredpsis tinctdria: this is now as fine and healthy a young 
plant as I ever beheld. I only wait for a favourable opportunity of 
prosecuting my enquiries, in order to furnish that information which 
may enable other horticulturalists to extend their researches, which, if 
pursued with patience, and in a spirit of true philosophical investigation, 
may, at no remote period of time, lead to discoveries as interesting to 
