Human Factor in Plant Evolution 297 



fruits, and had a great influence upon the methods 

 of plant-breeding. 



With the breaking down of the dogma of the 

 fixity of species, especially due to Darwin's work, 

 an impetus was given to experiments in originating 

 new forms. Some of the results of these may be 

 noted in the long list of new varieties of fruits, 

 vegetables, and flowers, that appear in the florists' 

 catalogues every year. Plant-breeding has now be- 

 come a science, and the results of these experiments 

 are often of quite as great importance scientifically, 

 as they are commercially. 



The history of cultivated plants in the United 

 States is an interesting one. Most of the standard 

 fruits, vegetables, and field crops were first brought 

 from Europe to the Atlantic States; but in course 

 of time the marked climatic differences between the 

 United States and Western Europe began to change 

 the characters of most of the cultivated plants, and 

 new varieties appeared which departed so markedly 

 from the parent stock that they were soon given 

 special names. By the selection of the best of these 

 native seedlings, most of the plant varieties now in 

 cultivation have arisen. At present, at least in the 

 Eastern States, comparatively few European varie- 

 ties are grown, this being especially the case with 

 the standard fruits apples, pears, and peaches. 



Domestication of Wild Fruits. Still more im- 

 portant has been the domestication of the native 

 fruits grapes, crab-apples, gooseberries, raspber- 



