﻿122 
  Retrograde 
  Varieties 
  

  

  quiring 
  about 
  their 
  origin. 
  In 
  some 
  cases 
  the 
  

   name 
  of 
  the 
  originator 
  may 
  be 
  so 
  widely 
  known 
  

   that 
  it 
  adds 
  weight 
  to 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  form, 
  

   and 
  therefore 
  may 
  advantageously 
  be 
  coupled 
  

   with 
  it. 
  The 
  origin 
  and 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  greater 
  

   part 
  of 
  our 
  garden-flowers, 
  fruits 
  and 
  vege- 
  

   tables 
  are 
  obscure; 
  we 
  see 
  them 
  as 
  they 
  are, 
  

   and 
  do 
  not 
  know 
  from 
  whence 
  they 
  came. 
  The 
  

   original 
  habitat 
  for 
  a 
  whole 
  genus 
  or 
  for 
  a 
  

   species 
  at 
  large, 
  may 
  be 
  known, 
  but 
  questions 
  as 
  

   to 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  single 
  forms, 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  

   built 
  up, 
  ordinarily 
  remain 
  unanswered. 
  

  

  For 
  these 
  reasons 
  we 
  are 
  restricted 
  in 
  most 
  

   cases 
  to 
  the 
  comparison 
  of 
  the 
  forms 
  before 
  us. 
  

   This 
  comparison 
  has 
  led 
  to 
  the 
  general 
  use 
  

   of 
  the 
  term 
  " 
  variety 
  " 
  in 
  opposition 
  to 
  

   " 
  species.' 
  The 
  larger 
  groups 
  of 
  forms, 
  

   which 
  are 
  known 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  introduced 
  as 
  

   such 
  are 
  called 
  species. 
  All 
  forms 
  which 
  by 
  

   their 
  characters 
  belong 
  to 
  such 
  a 
  species 
  are 
  

   designated 
  as 
  varieties, 
  irrespective 
  of 
  their 
  

   systematic 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  form, 
  considered 
  as 
  

   the 
  ancestor 
  of 
  the 
  group. 
  

  

  Hence, 
  we 
  distinguish 
  between 
  " 
  hybrid 
  va- 
  

   rieties 
  " 
  and 
  " 
  pure 
  varieties 
  " 
  according 
  to 
  

   their 
  origin 
  from 
  different 
  parents 
  or 
  from 
  a 
  

   single 
  line 
  of 
  ancestors. 
  Moreover, 
  in 
  both 
  

   groups 
  the 
  forms 
  may 
  be 
  propagated 
  by 
  seeds, 
  

   or 
  in 
  the 
  vegetative 
  way 
  by 
  buds, 
  by 
  grafting 
  or 
  

  

  