﻿764 
  Fluctuations 
  

  

  way 
  the 
  color 
  and 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  flowers 
  on 
  

   each 
  raceme 
  were 
  seen 
  to 
  vary. 
  Thousands 
  of 
  

   hybrids 
  were 
  produced, 
  and 
  only 
  those 
  which 
  

   exhibited 
  real 
  advantages 
  were 
  selected 
  for 
  

   trade. 
  These 
  were 
  multiplied 
  by 
  grafting, 
  and 
  

   each 
  variety 
  at 
  present 
  consists 
  only 
  of 
  the 
  buds 
  

   of 
  one 
  original 
  individual 
  and 
  their 
  products. 
  

   No 
  constancy 
  from 
  seed 
  is 
  assumed, 
  many 
  

   varieties 
  are 
  even 
  quite 
  sterile. 
  

  

  Of 
  course, 
  no 
  description 
  was 
  given 
  of 
  the 
  re- 
  

   jected 
  forms. 
  It 
  is 
  only 
  stated 
  that 
  many 
  of 
  

   them 
  bore 
  either 
  single 
  or 
  poorly 
  filled 
  flow- 
  

   ers, 
  or 
  were 
  objectionable 
  in 
  some 
  other 
  way. 
  

   The 
  range 
  of 
  variability, 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  choices 
  

   were 
  made, 
  is 
  obscure 
  and 
  only 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  the 
  

   selection 
  is 
  prominent. 
  What 
  part 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  

   the 
  combination 
  of 
  the 
  parental 
  features 
  and 
  

   what 
  to 
  the 
  individual 
  fluctuation 
  of 
  the 
  hybrid 
  

   itself 
  cannot 
  be 
  ascertained. 
  

  

  So 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  numerous 
  other 
  instances. 
  The 
  

   dahlias 
  have 
  been 
  derived 
  from 
  three 
  or 
  more 
  

   original 
  species, 
  and 
  been 
  subjected 
  to 
  cultiva- 
  

   tion 
  and 
  hybridization 
  in 
  an 
  ever-increasing 
  

   scale 
  for 
  a 
  century. 
  The 
  best 
  varieties 
  are 
  only 
  

   propagated 
  in 
  the 
  vegetative 
  way, 
  by 
  the 
  roots 
  

   and 
  buds, 
  or 
  by 
  grafting 
  and 
  cutting. 
  Each 
  of 
  

   them 
  is, 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  its 
  hereditary 
  qualities, 
  

   only 
  one 
  individual, 
  and 
  the 
  individual 
  charac- 
  

   ters 
  were 
  selected 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  with 
  the 
  

  

  