REVIEW OF THE PERIOD. 445 



a larger growth, not belonging to the class whose 

 advantage was especially sought, would confess to a 

 beneficial influence. | 



In reviewing the period embraced in this chapter we 

 are struck with the great progress in raising improved 

 varieties, particularly of flowers. Not only was the im- 

 provement of the old favorites the gladiolus, camellia, 

 Japan lily, phlox, rhododendron, and petunia con- 

 tinued, but the carnation, pseony, delphinium, pelargo- 

 nium, coleus, amaryllis, polyanthus, verbena, dracaena, 

 cyclamen, pyrethrum, and other flowers, were made 

 subjects for the florist's art. Moreover, this improve- 

 ment was pursued in a more systematic and scientific 

 manner than before, hybridization being more generally 

 practised. Probably this activity was in part due to 

 the war, which, while in some respects it exercised an 

 unfavorable influence on the exhibitions by increasing 

 the cost of importing novelties from Europe, caused our 

 florists to rely more on their own exertions for the 

 production of improved varieties, and thus led to most 

 desirable results in another direction. Among fruits, 

 while others were not neglected, the pear, the straw- 

 berry, and the grape continued to be the favorite sub- 

 jects of improvement; and the number of exhibiters 

 of seedling pears and grapes was largely increased, 

 notwithstanding the long time required to ascertain 

 the quality of new varieties of these fruits. When we 

 come to vegetables, we find most extraordinary results 

 effected in the improvement of the most important of 

 all culinary vegetables, the potato, commencing with the 

 Early Rose, and continuing with other kinds produced 

 by the originator of that variety and by other zealous 

 cultivators. 



