CHAPTER XVIII. 



ORIGINATING NEW VARIETIES HYBRIDIZATION. 



'T^HIS chapter introduces us to great diversities of opin- 

 ion, and to still greater differences in experience ; and 

 I fear that I shall leave the subject as indefinite as I find it. 

 The scientist best versed in botany and the laws of heredity, 

 can here find a field that would tax his best skill for a life- 

 time, and yet a child may amuse himself with raising new 

 kinds ; and it would not be impossible that, through some 

 lucky combination of nature, the latter might produce a 

 variety that would surpass the results of the learned man's 

 labor. As in most other activities of life, however, the prob- 

 abilities are on the side of skill and continuous effort. 



We have already shown that all the seeds of the F. Vir- 

 giniana and F. Chilensis may produce a new variety. These 

 seedlings often closely resemble the parent or parents, and 

 sometimes are practically identical with one of them ; more 

 often they present distinct differences. It is wholly impos- 

 sible to predict the character of seedlings as they usually 

 are produced. If we could obtain pure specimens of the 

 two great species, and cross them, the element of chance 

 would not enter into the result so largely as must be the 

 case when seed is gathered in our gardens. The pedigrees 

 of but few varieties are kno^vn, and in many instances the 

 two great races are so mingled that we can only guess which 

 element predominates, by the behavior and appearance of 

 the plants. The kinds with which we start are hybrids^ 



