﻿192 
  Retrograde 
  Varieties 
  

  

  Nothing 
  indeed, 
  is 
  more 
  variable 
  than 
  the 
  sig- 
  

   nification 
  of 
  the 
  term 
  variable 
  itself. 
  

  

  For 
  this 
  reason, 
  we 
  will 
  furthermore 
  desig- 
  

   nate 
  all 
  variations 
  under 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  neigh- 
  

   bors 
  with 
  the 
  new 
  and 
  special 
  term 
  ' 
  * 
  vicinism. 
  ' 
  

   It 
  always 
  indicates 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  crossing. 
  

  

  Leaving 
  this 
  somewhat 
  lengthy 
  terminolog- 
  

   ical 
  discussion, 
  we 
  now 
  come 
  to 
  the 
  description 
  

   of 
  the 
  phenomenon 
  itself. 
  In 
  visiting 
  the 
  plan- 
  

   tations 
  of 
  the 
  seedsmen 
  in 
  summer 
  and 
  exam- 
  

   ining 
  the 
  large 
  fields 
  of 
  garden-flowers 
  from 
  

   which 
  seed 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  gathered, 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  rare 
  to 
  

   find 
  a 
  plot 
  quite 
  pure. 
  On 
  the 
  contrary, 
  occa- 
  

   sional 
  impurities 
  are 
  the 
  rule. 
  Every 
  plot 
  

   shows 
  anomalous 
  individuals, 
  red 
  or 
  white 
  

   flowers 
  among 
  a 
  field 
  of 
  blue, 
  normal 
  among 
  

   laciniated, 
  single 
  among 
  double 
  and 
  so 
  on. 
  The 
  

   most 
  curious 
  instance 
  is 
  afforded 
  by 
  dwarf 
  

   varieties, 
  where 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  hundreds 
  and 
  

   thousands 
  of 
  small 
  individuals 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   height, 
  some 
  specimens 
  show 
  twice 
  their 
  size. 
  

   So 
  for 
  instance, 
  among 
  the 
  dwarfs 
  of 
  the 
  lark- 
  

   spur, 
  Delphinium 
  Ajacis. 
  

  

  Everywhere 
  gardeners 
  are 
  occupied 
  in 
  de- 
  

   stroying 
  these 
  " 
  atavists," 
  as 
  they 
  call 
  them. 
  

   When 
  in 
  full 
  bloom 
  the 
  plants 
  are 
  pulled 
  up 
  

   and 
  thrown 
  aside. 
  Sometimes 
  the 
  degree 
  of 
  

   impurity 
  is 
  so 
  high, 
  that 
  great 
  piles 
  of 
  dis- 
  

   carded 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  species 
  lie 
  about 
  the 
  

  

  