10 HINTS ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF OUR 



pots in the orchard-house, these small trees being sheltered 

 from inclement weather, and entirely under the control of the 

 hybridiser. We must, however, not fail to point out the great 

 improvements effected by Mr Thomas Rivers, who has added 

 many valuable varieties of Peaches, Nectarines, and Plums to 

 our collections ; and these varieties may be referred to as 

 examples of what may be effected among other fruits by care- 

 ful cross-fertilisation and judicious selection. A few years ago 

 our hothouse Grapes consisted mainly of Black Hamburg and 

 Muscat of Alexandria, together with Muscadines and one or 

 two other varieties of less note ; but here again we have examples 

 of the power possessed by the intelligent cultivator, perhaps 

 the most valuable of the new kinds being the late-keeping Lady 

 Downes's Seedling, Madresfield Court, Mrs Pince's Black 

 Muscat, Duke of Buccleuch, Golden Queen, and Dr Hogg. 

 Nor have vegetables been left behind : indeed, one of the most 

 striking examples of the valuable results to be obtained by 

 careful systematic cross-breeding and selection is the race of 

 new Peas raised by Mr Thomas Laxton, some of these varieties 

 having the combined good qualities of dwarfness, extreme pre- 

 cocity, and the most delicious marrow-like flavour. Every year, 

 too, brings us fresh, and in some few cases actually better, 

 selections from such types as those afforded by the Cabbage 

 family, Cucumbers, Melons, Onions, Peas, Beans, and other 

 vegetables ; and the same is true of some farm-crops, and notably 

 of Turnips and Mangels. Cereal crops deserve more atten- 

 tion than they have hitherto received ; and careful selection and 

 judicious change of soil every two or three years would do 

 much to improve these and other farm-crops. 



Let us, however, now glance at the means of improvement pos- 

 sessed by the gardener. One of the most universal and potent of 

 these is cultivation and change of seed, which means a change of 

 soil. Careful selection of seminal forms or sports often affords 

 a basis for future improvement ; and hybridism, cross-breeding, 

 and grafting are other valuable aids which have already enabled 

 the intelligent cultivator to accomplish much, and will yet aid 

 him to do much more. Cultivation alone works great changes in 

 many wild plants indeed it has been adopted from the earliest 

 times as a means of changing wild plants, and rendering them 

 more useful either for food, clothing, or medicine. By cultiva- 

 tion we favour the development of characteristics we know will be 

 useful to us, by repressing those characteristics which we do not 

 require. Thus we favour the production of leaves in compact 

 heads in the Cabbage and Lettuce, but we favour leaves on the 

 Grape Vine only so far as may be necessary towards the pro- 



