﻿208 
  Retrograde 
  Varieties 
  

  

  series, 
  we 
  may, 
  by 
  this 
  discussion, 
  arrive 
  at 
  a 
  

   more 
  scientific 
  estimation 
  of 
  the 
  phenomena 
  of 
  

   vicinism, 
  hitherto 
  described. 
  

  

  The 
  simplest 
  case 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  given, 
  is 
  when 
  

   an 
  ordinary 
  retrograde 
  variety 
  is 
  cultivated 
  

   with 
  the 
  species 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  belongs. 
  For 
  in- 
  

   stance, 
  if 
  dwarfs 
  are 
  cultivated 
  next 
  to 
  the 
  taller 
  

   type, 
  or 
  a 
  white 
  variety 
  next 
  to 
  the 
  red 
  or 
  

   blue-flowering 
  species, 
  or 
  thornless 
  forms 
  in 
  

   neighboring 
  beds 
  with 
  the 
  armed 
  species. 
  

   Bees 
  and 
  humble-bees, 
  butterflies 
  and 
  moths 
  are 
  

   seen 
  flying 
  from 
  flower 
  to 
  flower, 
  collecting 
  the 
  

   honey 
  and 
  carrying 
  pollen. 
  I 
  frequently 
  saw 
  

   them 
  cross 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  neighboring 
  beds. 
  

   Loaded 
  with 
  the 
  pollen 
  of 
  the 
  variety 
  they 
  visit 
  

   the 
  flowers 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  species 
  and 
  impreg- 
  

   nate 
  the 
  stigma 
  with 
  it. 
  And 
  returning 
  to 
  the 
  

   variety 
  they 
  bring 
  about 
  similar 
  crosses 
  in 
  the 
  

   flowers 
  of 
  the 
  latter. 
  Hybrid 
  seeds 
  will 
  devel- 
  

   op 
  in 
  both 
  cases 
  and 
  become 
  mixed 
  with 
  the 
  

   crop. 
  We 
  now 
  have 
  to 
  ask 
  the 
  question, 
  what 
  

   sort 
  of 
  plants 
  will 
  arise 
  from 
  these 
  hybrid 
  

   seeds. 
  As 
  a 
  general 
  rule 
  we 
  may 
  state, 
  first, 
  

   that 
  the 
  hybrids 
  of 
  either 
  form 
  of 
  cross 
  are 
  

   practically 
  the 
  same, 
  secondly 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  

   intermediate, 
  but 
  that 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  one 
  par- 
  

   ent 
  prevails 
  to 
  the 
  almost 
  absolute 
  exclusion 
  

   of 
  the 
  other 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  third 
  place 
  that 
  the 
  older 
  

   character 
  dominates 
  the 
  younger. 
  

  

  