Chap. XX. BY THE ANCIENTS. 185 



seed of Anemone coronaria, found a plant with one additional 

 petal ; he sowed the seed of this, and by pei severance in the 

 same course obtained several varieties with six or seven row^s 

 of petals. The single Scotch rose was doubled, and yielded 

 eight good varieties in nine or ten years. ^^ The Canterbury 

 bell (^Campanula medium') was doubled by careful selection in 

 four generations.^^ In four years Mr. Buckman,^^ by culture 

 and careful selection, converted parsnips, raised from wild 

 seed, into a new and good variety. By selection during a 

 long course of years, the early maturity of peas has been 

 hastened by between ten and twenty-one days.^^ A more 

 curious case is offered by the beet plant, which since its culti- 

 vation in France, has almost exactly doubled its yield of 

 sugar. This has been effected by the most careful selection ; 

 the specific gravity of the roots being regularly tested, and 

 the best roots saved for the production of seed.^*^ 



Stlection hy Ancient and Semi- civilised People. 



In attributing so much importance to the selection of 

 animals and plants, it may be objected, that methodical selec- 

 tion would not have been carried on during ancient times. 

 A distinguished naturalist considers it as absurd to suppose 

 that semi-civilised people should have practised selection of 

 any kind. Undoubtedly the principle has been systematically 

 acknowledged and followed to a far greater extent within the 

 last hundred years than at any former period, and a corre- 

 sponding result has been gained ; but it would be a greater 

 error to suppose, as we shall immediately see, that its impor- 

 tance was not recognised and acted on during the most ancient 

 times, and by semi-civilised people. I should premise that 

 many facts now to be given only show that care was taken 

 in breeding ; but when this is the case, selection is almost 

 sure to be practised to a certain extent. We shall hereafter 

 be enabled better to judge how far selection, when only occa- 



"^^ ' Transact. Hort. Soc.,' vol. iv. p. vi. p. 96 ; Mr. Barnes, in ' Gard. 



285. Chronicle,' 1844-, p. 476. 



2' Rev. W. Bromehead, in 'Gard. ^o Qodron, 'De I'Espfece,' 1859, 



Chronicle,' 1857, p. 550. torn. ii. p. 69; 'Gard. Chronicle/ 



2» 'Gard. Chronicle,' 1862, p. 721. 1854, p. 258. 



'^ Dr. Anderson, in ' The Bee,' vol. 



