SELECTING AND IMPROVING PLANTS IN CULTURE. 375 



shown were mostly single. De Candolle states cases in which the fixing a 

 ligature round the collar of the plant produced double flowers. Seeds 

 from semi-double flowers are likewise likely to originate those that are 

 wholly double ; and it has likewise been asserted that single flowers 

 grown among double ones are likely to be the parents of double flowers. 

 What is positive is, that some varieties or strains of seed yield a much 

 larger percentage of double flowers than others, and that in finally plant- 

 ing such plants as stocks into their flowering quarters, those of medium 

 strength are more likely to prove double than the strongest plants. 

 Others suppose that the food provided, and even the age of the seed, 

 affects the production of flowers. It is well known, and has often been 

 proved, that calyx, corolla, stamens, and pistils are only more highly 

 organized leaves, and each in the order in which they are mentioned is 

 more highly organized than the preceding. While liberal culture seems 

 to favour this transformation of the leaves into these portions of 

 flowers, over-feeding may reverse them back again to leaves. When 

 the branch is highly gorged with crude sap, the pistil is often lowered 

 back again into a shoot, as seen in the case of roses and other flowers. 

 Alternate starving and natural feeding, or a check, is often productive 

 of double flowers. Old seed is likewise much more prolific of double 

 flowers than that which is new. 



Duration of Varieties. The permanence of the duration of varieties, 

 so long as man wishes to take care of them, is evident from the con- 

 tinued existence of varieties, the most ancient of those which have been 

 described in books. A great deal however depends upon constitution 

 in vegetable as in animal life. The victory is to the strongest. By 

 negligence, or by a series of bad seasons, they may become diseased, 

 like some of our varieties of apple or potato, but by careful culture 

 they may be restored and retained to all appearance for ever. The 

 species might be recovered, but we question whether in many instances 

 that will be the case with the variety. Improved varieties, as they are 

 understood in a horticultural point of view, are doubtless prone to 

 decay in proportion to their degree of departure from that physiological 

 perfection which enables the wild variety to maintain itself continually 

 on the surface of the globe, independent of the care of man. A wild 

 variety will produce seed under favourable circumstances, but many 

 highly improved varieties, in a horticultural sense, do not perfectly 

 mature their seeds under any circumstances whatever, and therefore 

 must be physiologically imperfect, and being so, a priori, if it be admitted 

 that imperfection is a principle of decay, it will not be denied that no 

 plant imperfectly constituted can carry on its functions but for a more 

 or less limited time, even under the most favourable circumstances. 



We have dwelt longer on this subject than may appear necessary, 

 because we consider the civilization of wild plants by cultivation, the 

 originating of new varieties of those already in our gardens from seed, 

 or of wild plants from accidental variations, among the most interesting 

 and rational amusements which can engage the amateur, as well as one 

 of the most important that can command the attention of the horticul- 

 turist. There is a great deal of enjoyment in displaying our power 



