NATURAL THEOLOGY. 197 



for which there is no natural reason we know of, we 

 can plainly see the goodness of Providence. The 

 case is this : the improvement produced by cultivation 

 in the beauty of flowers, chiefly consists in increas- 

 ing the number of the flower leaves, botanists term 

 them the petals, which in those flowers, called 

 double flowers occupy the cup designed for the fruit 

 bearing parts, that is, the pointal and stamens, so that 

 the improved beauty is not obtained but at the ex- 

 pense of the fruit and the seed. The design intended 

 to be noticed is this ; that when it is the flower 

 which is changed, we shall find the general distinc- 

 tion is, that it takes place in those plants whose prin- 

 cipal value to us is their beauty ; while fruit trees 

 preserve the simplicity of the flower ; and the im- 

 provement is confined to the fruit under every degree 

 of culture. It would be a small compensation for 

 the barrenness of our orchards, that the flowers were 

 double in the spring. Why in the rose bush, cul- 

 tivation doubles the flower, and the apple, (the red 

 bud), is not improved ; and in the orchard trees, it 

 improves the apple, and leaves the flower single, can 

 only be attributed to that beneficent design, which 

 in every thing has consulted the greatest degree of 

 utility. The original potatoe was introduced into 

 Europe from the mountains of Peru, and has become 

 infinitely more valuable, as an article of food, by cul- 

 tivation. Here the root is improved ; but the flower 

 remains as simple as in the state of nature. A more 

 beautiful potatoe field would poorly reward us for the 



