386 CULTIVATION AFFECTING THE OFFSPRING. 



tained by subsequent investigatiooi, and that it has 

 been found that the qualities of the plant itself do 

 not vary so much as he then believed. If this had 

 been so, the foreign varieties of peach in this country 

 should have obtained something near the hardiness 

 of our native varieties. It is true that conditions 

 may exist which will bring out in bolder relief some 

 inherent quality which they possessed, and which 

 was not evident in the country from which they 

 came, because the influence did not exist to mature 

 them; and in their new position these qualities, 

 thus strongly brought out, may be stamped strongly 

 upon their offspring ; yet we have no reason to 

 believe that the constitution of the plant itself will 

 be in the least degree altered. 



Soil and i^osition also influence the character of 

 the offspring of fruit trees. Thus a pear tree 

 requiring for its successful cultivation a light 

 soil, if planted upon heavy land will be likely to 

 produce progeny suited to such a soil. This, how- 

 ever, depends upon the care and skill used in its 

 cultivation. If it be neglected, and the soil be cold 

 and wet, it will be likely to entail disease upon the 

 next generation, when proper cultivation would have 

 secured an invaluable variety. 



Ciiltivation. This does not improve the character 

 of the plant itself, but has an immense influence to 

 induce hardiness, vigor, early maturity, and product- 

 iveness. Those particular means should be used 



