XX.] CULTURAL DEGENERACY. 335 



lifetime ? In short, give me your opinions in a 

 definite and clear-cut manner upon the subject of lon- 

 gevity, or lack of longevity, of apple trees at the 

 present day." 



In their answers to this appeal, most of the observ- 

 ers state directly that apple trees are shorter lived 

 now than formerly, and even those who oppose the 

 proposition, still admit it indirectly, by making 

 good cultivation and sufficient fertilizing a condition of 

 great longevity. We may assume, therefore, that the 

 average limit of age of apple trees is decreasing. 



It is first necessary, in treating the subject, to de- 

 termine if this falling off in longevity is an inherent 

 tendency in the species or its varieties, or if it is due 

 entirely to external causes, as climate, " tillage and 

 neglect. In other words, is the apple tree becom- 

 ing weakened in constitution through long culti- 

 vation, or do we treat it improperly ? A few of my 

 correspondents believe in what I may call cultural 

 degeneracy, or the doctrine that the more highly we 

 improve the species the weaker in constitution must 

 each succeeding generation of varieties become. No 

 proofs are advanced in support of this proposition, 

 and from our present knowledge, I do not see that it 

 can be sustained. It is an easy matter to find highly 

 improved varieties which are tenderer or weaker in 

 constitution than seedlings ; but this proves nothing. 

 It only compares one variety with another, for all 

 varieties were originally seedlings, and they owe their 

 dissemination to the fact that they chanced to be 

 worthy of dissemination. And those that chanced 

 to be unworthy of dissemination — for which we par- 

 ticularly reserve the word seedling — differ as much 



