ess gross and succulent in their nature, and more subdued in
their manner of growth; whether it may be that having mature and perfectly
formed parts, they are enabled to assimilate their food more rapidly, than
young and imperfectly formed plants can do; or whether it is owing to any
difference in the balance between the roots and leaves, which latter
organs, in cuttings, and the former, in seedling plants, may be regarded
as predominant, does not appear quite evident, probably the effect depends
partly on each of these supposed causes. They are moreover, sooner in
arriving at a fruit-bearing state, by reason of a universal natural law,
by which the inflorescence and fructification of a plant becomes more
general and perfect, in proportion as the plant attains proximity to its
perfect developement; which effect, is owing to the more perfect
elaboration and preparation of the materials, which when so prepared,
furnish the means of perfecting the organs of reproduction. For the same
reason, the operation of budding a portion of a seedling fruit tree, on a
matured stem, is practised, in order to accelerate its fruitfulness; which
result generally follows, in consequence of the difference existing in the
nature of the food elaborated by the mature plant, and that deposited by
one in an infant state. Thus it is also, that cuttings of flowering plants
generally, are far sooner in arriving at a blooming state, than seedling
plants of the same species: flowers and fruit being formed only by the aid
of the perfectly elaborated sap; which is taken up into the system, and
assimilated in the plant, in proportion to the number of healthy and
mature leaves, in a full state of action: during the younger stages of
growth, the crude material imbibed from the soil, is only partially
elaborated, and in this state, is only converted into food suitable and
destined to increase the foliaceous organs; but when these latter are in
full and vigorous action, a supply of matter, not increased in quantity,
but enriched in quality, becomes laid up in the store-house and structure
of the plants; and it is by means of this matter, aided by the natural
agents, that the nature of the developement is changed from being simply
that of the organs of nutrition, to that of the more perfect and important
organs of reproduction. Besides the precocity of plants propagated by
cuttings, there is also another advantage resulting from the practice,
and that is the pr