56 HORTICULTURE LECT. in 



accidental productions, fixing and increasing them. For in- 

 stance, the fine peas Duke of Albany, Prince of Wales, and 

 some others, were procured by selecting an unusually fine pod that 

 appeared on older varieties, and sowing the seeds. The increase 

 in size and character of the original pods was maintained in the 

 progeny and thus large stocks were raised. The excellent pea 

 Telephone was secured by picking some light wrinkled seeds 

 from the rounder and darker seeds of the variety Telegraph, and 

 probably brought Messrs. Carter and Co. many hundreds of 

 pounds. Some of the finest beans have been established by 

 selection. The red Beauty of Hebron potato produced a white 

 tuber. It was saved, planted, and gave a crop like itself, and 

 now white Hebrons are becoming plentiful, and have been sold 

 for higher prices than the red. And so we might go on 

 enumerating ; but the practical point to remember is to choose 

 the finest samples of everything for seed, for that practice leads 

 to improvement, while eating the best and saving the worst for 

 growing is followed by degeneration. 



Q. May flowers be improved in the saine way ? 



A. Undoubtedly ; and if care were not exercised in saving 

 seed from the best only, the stocks would soon deteriorate. 

 Then many new flowers, chrysanthemums especially and some 

 roses, have been obtained from what are known as "sports." A 

 branch pushes and produces a flower quite different in colour 

 from the remainder, This branch is rooted by layering or as 

 a cutting, the peculiarity being retained and eventually plants 

 obtained and multiplied. 



Q. Speaking about saving seeds, did you not make a mistake 

 in saying that double flowers do not produce seed ? 



A. No, I think not. Some flowers appear double when they 

 are only partially so, and the essential organs, pistil and stamens, 

 remain, seeds following. Without these organs there can be 

 no seed, and it is only when they are changed into petals that 

 a flower is strictly double. 



Q. What then about roses, hollyhocks, wallflowers and chrys- 

 anthemums, surely they are double enough, yet they form 

 seed ? 



A. No, they are not " double enough," except in appearance 

 and for beauty ; the organs of fructification are present, though 

 more or less hidden among the petals, but can in most cases 

 be easily found by searching. It may be said, however, that a 

 chrysanthemum bloom is composed of a number of flowers 

 nestling at the base of the florets ; these inconspicuous flowers 

 alone produce seed, the more attractive parts being mere 

 appendages, mainly developed by cultivation. A chrysanthe- 



