BUDDING, GRAFTING, ETC. - 35 
A yariation is also often effected by moving a plant from 
its native country or soil to another; and when this change 
has once taken place, and the foundation of generation has 
been broken up, then variations become as common and 
apparently as natural as the fixed character was in the 
beginning. All, or nearly all, of our cultivated fruits and 
flowers are the results of the breaking up of the natural or 
original types from which the different species were deriv- 
ed. Knowing this, we should always watch for variations, 
and when discovered, preserve them with great care. 
When trees assume any particular form or character 
from the natural one, they are said to sport, and thus we 
have as sports of the Maple the striped-leaved, purple- 
leaved, etc. In nearly every species of ornamental trees 
we have such sports, and many of them are very beautiful, 
affording a most pleasing variety of color and form of foliage, 
and perhaps all were derived from a single species, though 
often several have contributed one or more of the number. 
Variations that possess any particular merit or value are 
not common, still they are sufficiently so to warrant us to 
be on the look-out for them, especially when a large num- 
ber of seedlings are grown. It will always be worth 
while for the grower to carefully look over his seed- 
lings, and if he should discover any one or more that — 
show any peculiar form or color of foliage, or any par: 
ticular habit of growth different from the mass, lef 
them be marked, and at the proper time taken up and 
planted by themselves, where their future development 
may be carefully observed. We have a fine pyramidal- 
growing Maple; but a weeping one would be still more 
