THE MOXTllIA' BILLETIX. iU.") 



sandy loam and thonsands of dollars were lost every year for years in 

 this attempt alone. After a earefnl observation of the soils present, it 

 was (leeided to trace out the origin of the Gandy variety and see. if 

 possil)le, why it was so partial to a certain kind of soil and so sensitive 

 to others. After some time the variety was traced to New Jersey, 

 and it was discovered that the first seedlini|' had orio-inated on the sanie 

 type of soil on which it was thrivinji" in Delaware. This led to the 

 same method for several of the other favorite varieties grown there, 

 and in each instance the variety was fonnd thrivinf; best on soils 

 in Delaware which were identical, or nearly so. to those on Avhich it 

 was first discovered. With this information, orowers in Delawaiv 

 learned that it was the soil type which determined the (jnalities and 

 connnercial success of berry growing, and thereafter the soil was more 

 fully considered than l)efore. 



We are living in a world of variation and it is dangerous to make 

 strong, positive statements for general application about almost any- 

 thing. It is this variableness which makes life interesting, and wi-ic 

 it not that changed environment changes characters in the plant king- 

 dom, there would be a veritable monotony and the earth would not 

 be fit for the range of aninuil life now extant upon its surface. 



;\lan has taken advantage of this condition in the plant woi-ld, 

 and has encouraged aiul urasjied the advantageous (pialities until to-day 

 we have an astonishing array of the most delicious eatables imauinabie. 

 There is nothing fixed, however, ami no permanent qualities can be 

 said to characterize a fruit universally. We are dealing with groups 

 of characters which, when a set appears to be quite stable in a given 

 locality.- we call the fruit possessing that group a variety. All h ad- 

 ing horticulturists and observing men are agreed that when a variety 

 is transferred to several different locations and to soils and clinuite of 

 marked difference, that tliere is a marked change in one or more of 

 the characters which go to make the variety. 80 we come to the ]>oint : 

 what constitutes a variety? If it is a group of constant or fixed 

 characters or qualities, then does not the changing: of one or more of 

 them or the addition of new ones or the su])traction of known (|ualities 

 constitute a change in the variety, and is it technically the same variety 

 in all places? There are some varieties of fruit which are so chaui-ed 

 in a number of important qualities that they can scarcely be recognized 

 as the same kind when placed on widely different soils and with a 

 different climate. A set of qualities is fixed only so long as the soil 

 and clinuitic environment remain unchanged, and those (lualities which 

 mark the variety where first discovered are genera ll}- used as deter- 

 mining factors which characterize the variety of fruit. 



Plant varieties propagated in the same environment by the vegetative 

 method appear to be remarkably constant. l)ut the (lualities are no- 

 ticeably changed when the propagation is made on entirely dissimilar 

 soils. Such a change fixes the qualities so long as the environment 

 remains unchanged, and it frequently determines the usefulness of 

 the variety in the commercial world. 



The power of man makes the variety useful by his ability to 

 recognize and encouraae the bringing out of desired qualities. He 

 does this by placing the fruit in an environment where every condi- 

 tion is as favorable as possible for the bringinu- out of the greatest 



