ON THE GERMINATION OF SEEDS. 
445 
and, by the simple means employed, of only stopping the growth to 
induce ail artificial stagnation. If there existed flower-buds in the 
autumn, we should be led to imagine that they would remain, and be 
developed as flower-buds in the spring; but here we see, though 
we stop the shoots to enlarge or forward the flower-buds, these, if they 
do burst in the autumn, are not flower, but leaf-buds. 
This circumstance is a strong corroboration of the morphologist’s 
doctrine; but perhaps we make a mistake in the identity of the buds. 
It is well known that three buds are often seated together in the axil of 
the same leaf. This is commonly seen on apricot, peach, and nectarine 
trees—one leaf-bud issuing from between two blossom-buds. If, there¬ 
fore, the central bud be forced into premature growth in the autumn, 
it may so rob the flowers as to render them too weak to come forth at 
the proper season. We put this as a hypothetical case ; and we shall 
be obliged by any information which any of our readers may be pleased 
to communicate, particularly relative to the identity of the buds 
exhibiting this unaccountable transmutation.— Ed. 
ON THE GERMINATION OF SEEDS. 
BY THE AUTHOR. OF THE DOMESTIC GARDENEIl’s MANUAL. 
At page 291 of the fiftieth number, I observed the notice of W. M. 
upon my experiments on the germination of seeds laid upon the surface 
of the soil of a pot in my hothouse. They were admitted to be conclu¬ 
sive as far as regarded the exact local situation of the seeds under glass, 
but were thought not to bear upon, or at least to be satisfactory in the 
case of seeds sown on the natural ground. 
Before I proceed to state a very simple mode of operating, with a 
view to impugn or confirm W. M.’s very rational objection, I request 
the reader to peruse very attentively that correspondent’s article, at 
page 291. 
Very shortly after I had read it, and two or three weeks before the 
termination of the dry weather of the late summer, I selected a spot in 
a border facing N. W., wherein there was not a weed. The border was 
backed by an open palisade fence, and therefore was sufficiently exposed 
to air and sun. I watered a portion of the soil, to the extent, perhaps, 
of eighteen inches square ; then beat it till the surface became level and 
firm ; left it so for a night and day, then watered it again ; and, after 
some hours, observing that the soil appeared merely moist, but without 
one drop of floating water upon it, I scattered over the surface, as lightly 
