secretary''s budget. 447 



But man sought a better fruit than he found wild about him, so 

 the crab was transplanted to his garden ; and from repeated propaga- 

 tion and careful culture, husbanding with jealous care every advance, 

 he has slowly but surely led the captive far away from its original type, 

 until we, in the happy possession of our pippins and pearmains, have 

 almost forgotten their lowly origin and the patient labors of those who 

 have, through their intelligence, wrought these changes. 



This we term an art — the art of horticulture. First we have a 

 simple species : from this we develop the disti ict variety. 



If we plant a seed of an apple we expect, as a result, an apple 

 tree. It may be, as to quality of fruit and other desirable character- 

 istics, a great improvement upon its immediate progenitors ; yet it is 

 an apple, nevertheless. 



We call this a variety. Varieties of marked character result, as 

 shown above, fro.n the ameliorating tendencies of what we call do- 

 mestication. 



If, therefore, we plant seeds, we multiply varieties of the species 

 to which the seeds belong. 



These new varieties do not all prove to be better in the desirable 

 ■qualities than were the parents. Indeed, with all our arts and skill, it 

 is only the rare exception that rewards our labors with satisfaction, 

 while the " ninety and nine " may show decided tendencies to degener- 

 acy, for nature is ever struggling against us. 



It will be seen, therefore, how uncertain, even after securing a 

 valu.^ble variety, are we in its possession, as with the growth and decay 

 of the original tree or plant would come the certain loss of our favorite 

 variety. But here again art comes to the rescue, as with the slow but 

 steady advance of knowledge and skill in the production of desirable 

 varieties comes also our skill in their perpetuation and multiplication 

 by propagation. , 



We propagate a species by planting the seed, a variety by other 

 and often purely artificial means. 



There are classes of fruits and plants which we cultivate and ad- 

 mire that, when established in a distinct or desirable variety, are self- 

 propagating. To this class belong the strawberry and raspberry ; the 

 one through its runners or ofi'-shoots, the other by tips and suckers. 

 These and many others propagate in this way, and rapidly, without 

 artificial means, while the gooseberry and currant, and many other of 

 our small fruits, shrubs, etc., are self-propagating, but, unaided by art, 

 are less rapid in their multiplication. With some we practice layering 

 as a means of extension ; others we propagate by cuttings, and there 

 are yet others with which we must resort to even more difficult and 



