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On further study of the matter, we find very strong evidence 

 that plants showing special qualities, if reproduced by budding and 

 grafting, will maintain their qualities under varying conditions of 

 soil, i.e. they will not materially change. 



"Who, for instance, could change a white into a black grape, or a 

 Julie into a Gordon mango, by the influence of the soil? A special 

 quality is essentially an individual characteristic possessed by a certain 

 plant not subject to serious change from the influence of the soil. 

 That changes of a kind can and do take place is easy to discover : but 

 they are merely such as would leave a white grape still a white grape, 

 and the Julie mango still a Julie, and nothing else, wherever planted. 



Plants are known to have retained, or to have maintained their 

 individual qualities and special characters for centuries no matter 

 where, how, or in what kind of soil they have been planted. 



The effect known to be produced upon plants by a new environ- 

 ment may effect them to a certain degree, but it is probable that the 

 influence of the soil is a minor factor even in this case, and can, from 

 a cultivator's point of view, be practically disregarded when dealing 

 with plants indigenous to, or imported from, a similar climate to that 

 in which they originated. 



Professor D' Albuquerque, in discussing chemical selection of 

 sugar-cane at this Conference, gave strong evidence in favour of the 

 permanence of individual special qualities in plants. He showed 

 variation and improvement, but in the end all came out alike — that is, 

 the special qualities were unaffected. 



In support of the statement that no material change occurs, I 

 would mention the continuance of the special qualities in the varieties 

 of European grapes, apples, pears, plums, etc., under cultivation. 

 The Ribston Pippin apple, first recorded some three hundred years 

 ago, has continued to maintain its special qualities, although culti- 

 vated on all classes of soil and in all climates in the temperate zone. 

 It is still the Ribston Pippin ; and by a late census, taken during 

 1904, it is placed about fourth in the list of dessert apples, in English 

 collections. Had its propagation been left to reproduction from seed, 

 in the manner cacao has been for so many years, it certainly would 

 have long since disappeared as a variety possessing special qualities ; 

 but by the aid of continuous vegetative reproduction, this apple has 

 been handed down from father to son for many generations, and still 

 stands among the first of its class. 



In Europe and America similar illustrations are abundant ; but 

 they have been exceedingly rare in the West Indies until in very recent 

 years, Avhen a commencement was made in perpetuating special, 

 selected varieties of the mango, orange and other fruits, by budding 

 and grafting. 



The sugar-cane and the pine ajiple afford two instances in which 

 special characters have been maintained, and we find in these two 

 instances, that the plants have been propagated by cuttings and 

 suckers, which are processes of ' vegetal ive reproduction.' Both are 

 now being propagated from seed, with the result that many new 

 varieties have been secured by selection from thousands of seedling 

 kinds, each of which may, by the means mentioned, be perpetuated 

 at will. 



