130 



ICOSANDRIA. 



appearance or flavour of the fruit, is not considered 

 by Botanists as sufficiently constant • to characterise 

 separate species. The Golden Pippin, the Nonpareil, 

 and common Crab, are therefore considered as only 

 three varieties of the same species 3 and in like man- 

 ner all the different kinds of Pears, but as so many 

 varieties from one parent tree. 



In the economy of Nature, the seed is all that the 

 Naturalist has to consider as essential to the reproduc- 

 tion of the plant, and the flavour of the seed or pulp 

 that surrounds it, is a circumstance not taken into 

 the account. Nevertheless, these different fruits, 

 though originally produced, as is supposed, by acci- 

 dent, are reproduced in a state of nature, by offsets 

 or suckers 3 and by artificial means, by layers, grafts, 

 and buds; and, as far as we know, may continue to 

 be so reproduced to the end of time. The true Bread- 

 fruit-tree and the Plantain, which produce the most de- 

 licious and nourishing food to the natives of those coun- 

 tries where they grow spontaneously, are entirely repro- 

 duced by suckers, and no diminution of the quality of 

 the fruit is suspected. Our Golden Pippin, which in 

 Herefordshire is supposed to be worn out, grows in 

 the Stable yard in St. Jame->'s in the same perfection 

 it ever did, as far as can be ascertained, and the fmit 

 annually produced, as large and well flavoured : but 

 a change of soil is sometimes necessary to renovate the 

 produce, even of flowers, as w^ell as fmits, of every 

 kind. The whole system of agriculture, as practised 



