﻿Retrograde 
  Varieties 
  145 
  

  

  cause 
  of 
  colors 
  and 
  other 
  qualities 
  is 
  evidently 
  

   opposed 
  to 
  the 
  current 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  cells 
  and 
  tis- 
  

   sues 
  as 
  the 
  morphologic 
  units 
  of 
  the 
  plants. 
  

   But 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  doubt, 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  long 
  run 
  it 
  will 
  

   recommend 
  itself 
  as 
  much 
  to 
  the 
  scientist 
  as 
  to 
  

   the 
  breeder. 
  For 
  the 
  breeder, 
  when 
  desiring 
  to 
  

   keep 
  his 
  varieties 
  up 
  to 
  their 
  standard, 
  or 
  when 
  

   breeding 
  to 
  a 
  definite 
  idea, 
  obviously 
  keeps 
  his 
  

   standard 
  and 
  his 
  ideal 
  for 
  the 
  whole 
  plant, 
  even 
  

   if 
  he 
  breeds 
  only 
  for 
  flowers 
  or 
  for 
  fruit. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  chosen 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  purple 
  thorn- 
  

   apple 
  as 
  a 
  first 
  example, 
  but 
  the 
  colors 
  of 
  other 
  

   plants 
  show 
  so 
  many 
  diverging 
  aspects, 
  all 
  

   pointing 
  so 
  clearly 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  conclusion, 
  that 
  

   it 
  would 
  be 
  well 
  to 
  take 
  a 
  more 
  extensive 
  view 
  

   of 
  this 
  interesting 
  subject. 
  

  

  First 
  we 
  must 
  consider 
  the 
  correlation 
  in 
  the 
  

   colors 
  of 
  flowers 
  and 
  fruits. 
  If 
  both 
  are 
  colored 
  

   in 
  the 
  species, 
  whether 
  red 
  or 
  brown 
  or 
  purple 
  

   or 
  nearly 
  black, 
  and 
  a 
  variety 
  lacking 
  this 
  hue 
  

   is 
  known, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  lacking 
  in 
  both 
  organs. 
  If 
  

   the 
  color 
  is 
  pure, 
  the 
  flowers 
  and 
  berries 
  will 
  be- 
  

   come 
  white, 
  but 
  such 
  cases 
  are 
  rare. 
  Ordinar- 
  

   ily 
  a 
  yellowish 
  or 
  greenish 
  tinge 
  underlies 
  the 
  

   ornamental 
  color, 
  and 
  if 
  this 
  latter 
  disappears, 
  

   the 
  yellowish 
  ground 
  will 
  become 
  manifest. 
  So 
  

   for 
  instance 
  in 
  the 
  Belladonna, 
  a 
  beautiful 
  per- 
  

   ennial 
  herb 
  with 
  great 
  shiny 
  black, 
  but 
  very 
  

   poisonous, 
  fruits. 
  Its 
  flowers 
  are 
  brown, 
  but 
  in 
  

  

  