270 THE CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



as it may be said, or an accidental departure from the reg* 

 ular course. 



This accidental occurrence is taken advantage of to re- 

 produce the variation by such a process as will fix the new 

 type and preserve its peculiarities. A great many such 

 cases have occurred. Most of our valuable fruits have thus 

 originated; many varieties of grains have been produced in 

 this way and have been fortunately preserved by the ob- 

 servant farmers who have noticed the departure from the 

 regular course of growth. The well known late rose potato 

 was thus originated from a cutting of early rose; which re- 

 mained green long after the other plants of the crop had 

 ripened. A notable case recently occurred with a new and 

 strange rose, which appeared upon a branch' of an old kind, 

 and which was so admirable in form and color as to strike 

 the notice of the florist in whose green houses it appeared. 

 The branch was divided into cuttings and propagated with 

 the result of a profit of several thousand dollars in two or 

 three years. 



So many fortunate prizes have been discovered in this 

 manner that the farmer who is constantly observing what 

 is going on around him, can scarcely fail to find something, 

 in some way, that will be of interest or value to him. And 

 -he who is the most thoroughly versed in all the fundament- 

 al knowledge of his business, and understands the princi- 

 ples upon which his work is based the best, will be most 

 likely to secure his share of these prizes which the grand 

 lottery of nature offers to those who take a share in it. 



