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  Retrograde 
  Varieties 
  

  

  larly 
  occurring 
  so-called 
  atavism 
  of 
  the 
  sporting 
  

   varieties 
  with 
  which 
  we 
  shall 
  deal 
  in 
  a 
  later 
  

   lecture. 
  If 
  it 
  proves 
  to 
  be 
  real 
  atavism 
  

   and 
  rare, 
  the 
  case 
  should 
  be 
  accurately 
  

   described 
  and 
  figured, 
  or 
  photographed 
  if 
  pos- 
  

   sible; 
  and 
  the 
  exact 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  reverting 
  

   bud 
  should 
  be 
  ascertained. 
  Very 
  likely 
  the 
  so- 
  

   called 
  dormant 
  or 
  resting 
  buds 
  are 
  more 
  liable 
  

   to 
  reversions 
  than 
  the 
  primary 
  ones 
  in 
  the 
  axils 
  

   of 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  young 
  twigs. 
  Then 
  the 
  char- 
  

   acters 
  of 
  the 
  atavistic 
  branches 
  should 
  be 
  mi- 
  

   nutely 
  compared 
  with 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  presumed 
  an- 
  

   cestor 
  ; 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  quite 
  identical 
  with 
  them 
  or 
  

   slightly 
  divergent, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  asserted 
  in 
  some 
  

   instances. 
  The 
  atavism 
  may 
  be 
  complete 
  in 
  one 
  

   case, 
  but 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  incomplete 
  in 
  others. 
  

  

  By 
  far 
  the 
  most 
  interesting 
  point 
  is 
  the 
  ques- 
  

   tion, 
  as 
  to 
  what 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  expected 
  from 
  the 
  seeds 
  

   of 
  such 
  an 
  atavistic 
  branch. 
  Will 
  they 
  keep 
  

   true 
  to 
  the 
  reverted 
  character, 
  or 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  

   characters 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  which 
  bears 
  the 
  retro- 
  

   grade 
  branch? 
  Will 
  all 
  of 
  them 
  do 
  so, 
  or 
  only 
  

   part 
  of 
  them, 
  and 
  how 
  large 
  a 
  part 
  ? 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  

   astonishing 
  that 
  this 
  question 
  should 
  still 
  be 
  

   unsolved 
  where 
  so 
  many 
  individual 
  trees 
  bear 
  

   atavistic 
  branches 
  that 
  remain 
  on 
  them 
  through 
  

   long 
  series 
  of 
  years. 
  But 
  then 
  many 
  such 
  

   branches 
  do 
  not 
  flower 
  at 
  all, 
  or 
  if 
  they 
  flower 
  

   and 
  bear 
  seed, 
  no 
  care 
  is 
  taken 
  to 
  prevent 
  

  

  