242 THE SURVIVAL OF THE UNLIKE. [xi. 



to the Paragon." In other words, his experience had 

 taught hini that any variety which represents the Para- 

 gon so closely as to be considered to be identical with 

 it, must have exceptional merit. So my effort, instead 

 of lessening the number of varieties, simply emphasized 

 the value or characters of those which I had regarded 

 as synonyms ! 



I should by no means depreciate the common practice 

 of reducing varieties to synonyms, but I must repeat 

 that varieties which are, by common consent, regarded 

 as synonymous with an older type or name, are not 

 necessarily identical with that type in all respects. 

 While reducing like forms to synonyms, I should still 

 insist upon the distinctions of all those which are pecu- 

 liar, either by origin or subsequent adaptation, to par- 

 ticular regions or localities. Let us admit, for instance, 

 that, for all purposes of description, Delaware Winter 

 and Lawver are the same; I should still prefer Delaware 

 Winter for planting on the Atlantic seaboard and Law- 

 ver for the Mississippi Valley. I am convinced that we 

 need to discover differences rather than similarities, for 

 by that means we come to know varieties intimately. 

 The fact that strains and sub -varieties are quite as 

 important to the discerning horticulturist as the type of 

 the variety itself, has been long recognized by vegetable 

 gardeners, who are under severe competition, and to 

 whom very small differences in varieties are exceedingly 

 important. 



The ideal treatment of synonyms is to describe a 

 variable or cosmopolitan variety as a type, and then to 

 treat the synonyms with reference to their history, — 

 placing in one category all those sub -types which have 

 probably sprung independently from seed, in another 



