CHAPTER III. 



PRODUCTION OF NEW VARIETIES. 



THE tendency is more or less common with all plants, when 

 successively produced from seed, to depart from the charac- 

 ter first stamped upon them. These departures give rise 

 to new varieties. In their native forests, many trees and 

 plants do not exhibit these changes, either because they are 

 slight and obscure, or in consequence of the inflexible nature 

 of the species. With others, varieties are conspicuous ; 

 examples of which may be seen in the White Spruce, a part 

 of the trees presenting rigid, erect branches, in contrast 

 with the drooping aspect of others ; in the American Elm, 

 the branches, in rare instances, being as pendant as the 

 weeping willow ; in the more brilliant glow of red flowers 

 on some trees of the Red Maple ; and in the diversity of 

 size, form, and flavor of the wild plum of the woods. 



This tendency to vary is increased as plants are removed 

 from their native localities ; and in an eminent degree by 

 cultivation. Planted in gardens, and subjected to high 

 culture, repeated and successive sowings often develope 

 striking changes from the appearances which for previous 

 centuries had remained unchanged. By a constant selec- 

 tion of seeds from the best, a gradual improvement on the 

 original is effected. Most of our finest fruits, doubtless owe 

 their existence to this improving process.* 



" If," says Downing, " we sow a quantity of seed in gar- 



* The distinction between species and varieties should be well understood. A single 

 species, or original, distinct, individual plnnt, often includes many varieties. All the 

 varieties of one species, are from the same original plant; the thousands which 

 have been named of the single species, the apple, are but a small portion of the myri- 

 ads which have been actually produced. Successive plantings have given us sorts 

 as different in size as the Monstrous Pippin and the minute Lady Apple ; or as 

 remote in flavor as the harsh and astringent Hewes Crab, and the rich and honied 

 Bough. But widely different as these may be, they can never pass the boundary of 

 the species an apple can never be changed to a pear, a cherry to a plum, nor a 

 gooseberry to a currant. 



