﻿Multiplication 
  of 
  Extremes 
  765 
  

  

  varietal 
  and 
  hybrid 
  characters. 
  Most 
  of 
  them 
  

   are 
  very 
  inconstant 
  from 
  seed 
  and 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  

   only 
  mixtures 
  are 
  offered 
  for 
  sale 
  in 
  seed-lists. 
  

   Which 
  of 
  their 
  ornamental 
  features 
  are 
  due 
  to 
  

  

  \ 
  

  

  fluctuating 
  deviation 
  from 
  an 
  average 
  is 
  of 
  

   course 
  unknown. 
  Amaryllis 
  and 
  Gladiolus 
  are 
  

   surrounded 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  scientific 
  uncertain- 
  

   ties. 
  Eight 
  or 
  ten, 
  or 
  even 
  more, 
  species 
  have 
  

   "been 
  combined 
  into 
  one 
  large 
  and 
  multiform 
  

   strain, 
  each 
  bringing 
  its 
  peculiar 
  qualities 
  into 
  

   the 
  mixed 
  mass. 
  Every 
  hybrid 
  variety 
  is 
  one 
  

   individual, 
  being 
  propagated 
  by 
  bulbs 
  only. 
  

   Colors 
  and 
  color-patterns, 
  shape 
  of 
  petals 
  and 
  

   other 
  marks, 
  have 
  been 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  wild 
  

   ancestors, 
  but 
  the 
  large 
  size 
  of 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  

   varieties 
  is 
  probably 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  selection 
  of 
  the 
  

   extremes 
  of 
  fluctuating 
  variability. 
  So 
  it 
  is 
  

   with 
  the 
  begonias 
  of 
  our 
  gardens, 
  which 
  are 
  

   also 
  composite 
  hybrids, 
  but 
  are 
  usually 
  sown 
  

   on 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  scale. 
  Flowers 
  of 
  15 
  cm. 
  diam- 
  

   eter 
  are 
  very 
  showy, 
  but 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  

   about 
  the 
  manner 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  produced, 
  

   as 
  the 
  wild 
  species 
  fall 
  far 
  short 
  of 
  this 
  size. 
  

  

  Among 
  vegetables 
  the 
  potatoes 
  afford 
  an- 
  

   other 
  instance. 
  Originally 
  quite 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  

   good 
  species 
  were 
  in 
  culture, 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  hav- 
  

   ing 
  small 
  tubers. 
  Our 
  present 
  varieties 
  are 
  due 
  

   to 
  hybridization 
  and 
  selection, 
  each 
  of 
  them 
  

   being 
  propagated 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  vegetative 
  way. 
  

  

  