70 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1900. 



beyond us. It is very interesting to diseuss these questions, 

 and however much we graft we see the main law the same. 

 Some varieties live longer than others, but all have distinctive 

 characteristics always. 



Mr. Marble said that the plants grown from seed are not 

 twice alike in a hundred times. 



Mr. Hadwen said nature doesn't intend to have all indi- 

 viduals alike. This individuality in plants is due, probably, to 

 the diffusion of pollen from one flower to another, and the same 

 combination seldom occurs twice alike. Each is slightly differ- 

 ent. Some of the trees and flowers do in time reproduce their 

 like. With the apple we have never known the second produc- 

 tion, that is, the reproduction from seed exactly like the parent 

 tree. Other varieties are brought forward. We can hardly 

 expect it for many years to come, at least. There m:iy be a 

 time when wider knowledge may bring this about. There arc a 

 great many things in nature which we cannot understand in 

 principle, but their study is interesting. 



