XXIII.] STANDARDS ARE RISING. 373 



Moreover, the rot in any variety appears to depend 

 considerably upon the conditions under which the 

 variety is grown. It is also known that these con- 

 ditions exert a great influence upon the habit and 

 other characteristics of the variety. The influences 

 of these conditions or environments upon both ame- 

 nability to disease and upon variation or modification 

 in the variety itself, must, therefore, proceed some- 

 what in common. It is conceivable, also, if varieties 

 or individual plants become modified with age in 

 reference to productiveness and qualities of fruit 

 without showing other external modifications, as we 

 have already seen, that they can become similarly 

 modified in reference to their attitude toward diseases. 

 (4) The standard of merit is constantly rising, 

 and varieties which ■ would have been acceptable at one 

 time may no longer find favor. Every variety which 

 supplants other varieties, by that much raises the 

 standard of the forthcoming varieties. A grape must 

 now be better than the Concord, if it is worth intro- 

 duction. Good varieties are not worth introducing; 

 they must be superior if they are to have permanent 

 value. Yet this fact appears to be overlooked by 

 many nurserymen and other' introducers, and the 

 simply good or meritorious varieties which they put 

 upon the market fail as soon as they become well 

 known. If the standard of excellence is constantly 

 rising, the question at once arises, if amelioration 

 in plants is keeping pace with this uplift : Are there 

 as many superior variations as there were when the 

 standards were lower? This question is too large 

 for discussion here, but it may be said that there are 

 probably enough superior variations to meet our 



