105 



ral foliage often occur, which might be retained and made 

 permanent by bud grafting. From such accidents as 

 these it is, that the florist moulds his novelties, being 

 careful to intensify the derivation by grafting, by slipping, 

 or by seeding the plant and watching its offspring. 



Much might be said of the numerous hybrids that may 

 be produced by a judicious crossing of near affinities, 

 and pressing each novel tendency till it becomes intensi- 

 fied and fixed by breeding, requiring perhaps several gen- 

 erations. 



Deviations are much more likely to occur among plants 

 under cultivation than those in a natural state. 



The readiest change for a plant to make is in the color 

 of its blossom, otherwise plants vary chiefly in the direc- 

 tion of their prominent peculiarity, or that of prospective 

 usefulness ; selection, both natural and applied, tending 

 to the same end. With the edible roots, we may expect 

 improvement in that direction, with fruits, in their en- 

 largement and the luscious quality of their flesh, with 

 flowers, in the multiplication of their petals, or in changes 

 of their hues. Neither the fairest apple nor the richest 

 pear has yet been attained ; and the most fragrant rose 

 and most gorgeous lily are still in reserve for the gratifi- 

 cation of the taste of man. 



When we remember the almost endless changes that a 

 few years since were produced from the simple scarlet 

 eight-petaled dahlia of Mexico, or with the kingly robes of 

 the lily and tulip, with multiplications of the rose, the 

 peony, the fuchsia, the petunia, the verbena, etc., we are 

 apt to feel in their abundance, that the climax has been 

 achieved ; but to all whose taste seeks continued gratifica- 

 tion we may say with confidence, and that without tread- 

 ing upon ground appropriated by Darwin or hastening to 

 his conclusions, that there is absolutely no end to the de- 



Essex Inst. Bulletin. hi 14 



