66 EVOLUTION 



over a dozen very distinctive races have been 

 established ; and of course varieties for " the 

 fancy " without end. 



It is a remarkable fact that, in spite of the 

 accuracy, assiduity and collecting acquisitive- 

 ness which characterize botanical systematists, 

 we know very little that is quite certain about 

 the pedigrees of cultivated plants. As De 

 Vries says : " The origin and history of the 

 greater part of our garden flowers, fruits and 

 vegetables are obscure ; we see them as they 

 are, and do not know whence they came. The 

 original habitat for a whole genus or for a 

 species at large may be known, but questions 

 as to the origin of the single forms of which it 

 is built up ordinarily remain unanswered.'* 



But in spite of obscurities as to origin, the 

 evolution of cultivated plants is still going 

 on before our eyes. Whether we visit the 

 nearest country flower-show, or admire from 

 enchanting distance Mr. Burbank's latest 

 creations the " primus berry," the " phe- 

 nomenal berry," the " Bartlett plum," the 

 spineless cactus, and the rest, or see the 

 Mendelian experimenters positively manipu- 

 lating the inheritances of our cereals, we 

 cannot doubt that we are in the presence of 

 evolution in actual process. 



It is necessary, however, to point out that 



