﻿Stability 
  and 
  Real 
  Atavism 
  165 
  

  

  lished 
  a 
  large 
  volume 
  on 
  garden-plants, 
  con- 
  

   taining 
  a 
  great 
  number 
  of 
  very 
  good 
  engrav- 
  

   ings. 
  Most 
  of 
  them 
  of 
  course 
  show 
  normal 
  

   plants, 
  but 
  intermixed 
  with 
  these 
  are 
  varieties, 
  

   that 
  are 
  still 
  in 
  cultivation 
  and 
  therefore 
  must 
  

   be 
  at 
  least 
  two 
  centuries 
  old. 
  Others, 
  though 
  

   not 
  figured, 
  are 
  easily 
  recognized 
  by 
  their 
  names 
  

   and 
  descriptions. 
  The 
  cockscomb 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  

   widely 
  known, 
  but 
  many 
  white 
  or 
  double 
  flow- 
  

   ered 
  varieties 
  were 
  already 
  cultivated 
  at 
  that 
  

   time. 
  The 
  striped 
  Jalappa, 
  the 
  crested 
  Sedum, 
  

   the 
  fasciated 
  crown-imperial, 
  white 
  strawber- 
  

   ries, 
  red 
  gooseberries 
  and 
  many 
  others 
  were 
  

   known 
  to 
  Hunting. 
  

  

  Some 
  varieties 
  are 
  as 
  old 
  as 
  culture 
  itself, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  generally 
  known 
  that 
  the 
  Romans 
  cul- 
  

   tivated 
  the 
  white 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  opium-poppy 
  and 
  

   used 
  the 
  foliage 
  of 
  the 
  red 
  variety 
  of 
  the 
  sugar- 
  

   beet 
  as 
  a 
  vegetable. 
  

  

  In 
  our 
  time 
  flowers 
  and 
  fruits 
  are 
  changing 
  

   nearly 
  as 
  rapidly 
  as 
  the 
  fancies 
  and 
  tastes 
  of 
  

   men. 
  Every 
  year 
  new 
  forms 
  are 
  introduced 
  

   and 
  usurp 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  older 
  ones. 
  Many 
  are 
  

   soon 
  forgotten. 
  But 
  if 
  we 
  look 
  at 
  old 
  country 
  

   gardens, 
  a 
  goodly 
  number 
  of 
  fine 
  and 
  valued 
  old 
  

   sorts 
  are 
  still 
  to 
  be 
  found. 
  It 
  would 
  be 
  worth 
  

   while 
  to 
  make 
  special 
  collections 
  of 
  living 
  plants 
  

   of 
  old 
  varieties, 
  which 
  surely 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  good 
  

   and 
  interesting 
  work 
  and 
  bring 
  about 
  a 
  convic- 
  

  

  