Notes and Gleanings. 119 



Return of Varieties to the Original Type. — A growing interest is 

 noticeable in tracing the changes in varieties of plants, and in determining the 

 influence of the stock, of culture, climate, age, and other conditions, upon the 

 character of individual plants. As a rule, seedling varieties perpetuate their 

 character with surprising uniformity. The Bartlett Pear may be grafted on the 

 thorn or mountain-ash or quince or apple or wild-pear stock ; yet, in all the in- 

 termingling, it will preserve its true type. It is a common remark, that the St. 

 Michael Pear has deteriorated. The expression is incorrect. Give the St. Mi- 

 chael its required conditions, and it will to-day prove that there is no taint in its 

 royal blood. Climates change, soils become exhausted, diseases creep in, and 

 varieties may languish ; yet they do in these varying conditions, to a remarkable 

 degree, though not invariably, preserve their individuality. Many kinds of 

 plants are noticed as sending out sporting branches. The habit of growth, the 

 foliage, the fruit, of a particular branch, may be peculiar. A single limb of a 

 scarlet maple may preserve a remarkable brilliancy year after year. Soii;ie shoots 

 of the variegated geraniums, euonymus, sycamore-maple, or horse-chestnut, 

 are unusually distinct. In many instances, this sport of the parts of a plant may 

 be perpetuated ; yet the rule is, to return the sport to the general character of 

 the parent variety. 



A sporting branch differs in principle from a sporting seedling, and we may 

 reasonably expect the history of the two will be different. It is desirable that 

 facts in regard to changes of varieties should be recorded until sufficient data 

 are collected to guide us in our reasonings. 



I notice a marked case of variation in the ring-leaf willow {Salix annularis), 

 on a tree now standing on the estate of L. Baldwin, Esq., in Brighton, Mass. 

 The tree may be twenty years old, thirty feet high, and twenty inches in diame- 

 ter. With a single exception, it in no way differs from the usual and very pecu- 

 liar appearance of the ring-leaved willow. Twenty feet from the ground, a single 

 branch starts from the under side of a large limb, which, on account of its pecu- 

 harity, has been allowed to develop beyond the proportion of the rest of the 

 tree. This branch has sported clear back to the original type, the Salix Baby- 

 lonica. In looking at the tree, one would say it has been budded ; but Mr. Bald- 

 win's testimony, and also an examination, make it clear that this is not true. 

 Though this branch, which is now from twelve to fifteen feet long, and from two 

 to three inches in diameter, has not a trace of the peculiar characteristic of the 

 ring-leaf, but is in all respects like the common weeping variety, yet I cannot 

 doubt it is a sporting branch, which, though drawing its life from its mother 

 trunk, has, notwithstanding, lost its own nature, and regained the characteristics 

 of its grandparent. I shall be interested to learn whether cuttings from this 

 branch will show any disposition to revert to the true type. 



At present, no part of the branch, though quite extended, shows any varia- 

 tion from the Babylonica. W. C. Strong. 



