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ibrt. Being thus fuppofed to be perpetually liable 

 to new changes, thefe feminal varieties have been 

 totally excluded from every botanical fyflem of 

 claffifkation. As it is fuppofed that all the diffe- 

 rent kinds of potatoes ufually cultivated in Europe 

 belong to one fpecies, and that the different kinds 

 are only accidental varieties that have been cafually 

 obtained from feeds, it was very natural to fuppofe 

 that new varieties of the fame kind would arife 

 from feeds whenever they fhould be fown. 



According to the fame fyflem, all the different 

 kinds of cabbages, of turnips, of garden peafe and 

 beans, &c. are only feminal varieties, which, having 

 been produced by accident, may be in like manner 

 again varied by accident; yet- that this is not the 

 cafe, feems to be proved beyond difpute by expe- 

 rience ; for every gardener knows, that if he be at 

 due pains in faving the feeds of his cabbages, &c. 

 the fame kind may be propagated for any length 

 of time without the fmalleft variation : experience 

 even goes farther, as it proves that thefe varieties 

 may not only be kept diftincl as long as you pleafe, 

 but that they may alfo, in Jome cafes, be mixed and 

 adulterated almofl atpleafure; and that even thefe 

 adulterated varieties can be made to continue of the 

 fame kind without any variation, as long as you fhall 



choofe 



