DEGENERATION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 85 



Among the fruits termed " small fruits" the strawberr}- furnishes 

 the clearest evidence as to its duration of life. Of this fruit, as 

 nearlj^ as I can recall, the kinds that have been cultivated thrive 

 about thirty years ; although there have been a few instances of 

 longer duration, and some whose term has been shorter. 



Of twenty sorts grown by nurserymen and advertised fifty 

 years ago, not one is known in cultivation, if we except the 

 Alpine, which seems to be p:5rpetual ; as does also the wild or na- 

 tive strawberry. Within the past forty years hundreds of vari- 

 eties have been produced from seed, brought into notice, and are 

 now gone to give place to new seedlings ; and but few now exteu- 

 sivel}' grown have been known to cultivation twent}^ years. Of 

 fifty-one varieties grown in the nurseries of the late William R. 

 Prince in 1839, not one remains. The strawberry reproduced 

 from runners gradually becomes enfeebled and unproductive ; and 

 passes away, giving place to new and vigorous kinds raised from 

 seed, which seems to be nature's mode of reproduction. 



The raspberry, blackberry, and currant are long lived, and 

 sorts that were grown as far back as the memory of man runneth 

 are as good now as ever, conditions being equal. New seedlings 

 are brought out from time to time, which, as novelties, have a 

 tendency to supplant the older sorts, but the Antwerp, Franconia, 

 P"'astolfi', Knevett's, and Northumberland raspberries, and a dozen 

 others are just as good as ever. Neither do the blackberries or 

 currants, when well grown, give much if any evidence of degen- 

 eration ; when they fail it may fairly be attributed to the influence 

 of poor soil and cultivation. 



Vegetables, especially those annually grown from seed, cannot 

 degenerate ; seeds may become mixed and new sorts may be pro- 

 duced, but the annuals cannot be classed among plants that 

 degenerate. Some seasons are found unfavorable to the develop- 

 ment and growth of certain kinds ; and new sorts are continually 

 being introduced and tried. 



The potato, indigenous to the mountainous sections of Mexico 

 and South America only, is consequently, when cultivated here, 

 far removed from its native home ; and it affords us the best illus- 

 tration of the importance of renewal b}' seed. As usually prop- 

 agated from the tuber, it grows and thrives well for about 

 twenty-five years, after which it manifests a very decided tendency 

 to degenerate ; and new seedlings are resorted to, which in their 



