FEBRUARY. 59 



weather, materially affect them in their native localities. She 

 adapts them to any situation where accident or chance may 

 throw a stray seed. But when, by the aid of art, their char- 

 acters have been ameliorated and changed, and that change 

 the result in part of removal to a richer soil and more genial 

 clime, their circumstances are entirely altered ; they no long- 

 er are nature's creation, but have become tamed and civilized, 

 and require artificial aid to continue their amelioration, just 

 as an animal is domesticated, and needs the continued assist- 

 ance of domestication to prevent a return towards its native 

 condition. 



If our premises are correct, we see then the necessity of a 

 system of cultivation which must be far higher than that 

 which nature affords. The miserable crab is changed to the 

 Monstrous pippin ; the choky pear to the noble Beurre Diel ; 

 the sour plum to the Washington ; the bitter mazzard to the 

 Black Tartarian ; the foxy grape to the rich Isabella ; the 

 small acid gooseberry to the great Roaring Lion ; the dimin- 

 utive strawberry to the Hovey's Seedling ; and so on. Here 

 are widely different characteristics of growth, quality, &c., 

 and will it for a moment be supposed that the ordinary cul- 

 ture of the original type is to maintain and keep in force the 

 precious qualities which years of gradual amelioration have 

 brought about ? It is superfluous to say it will not ; but that 

 nothing, except the highest intelligence which science brings 

 to our aid, will enable us to possess them in all the excellen- 

 cies of their improved state. 



We have perhaps been led out of our course with this train 

 of thought, and its bearings upon the subject of thorough 

 cultivation ; yet, deeming it important that we should illus- 

 trate somewhat the position which we take. We have given 

 these examples of what we consider material alterations in 

 the condition of certain fruits, that we might show the neces- 

 sity of material improvements in their culture. 



It is no uncommon thing to hear intelligent cultivators re- 

 mark, that we already have fruits enough, such as they are, 

 but that we need a different class. "We want," say they, 

 " a pear as large as the Duchess, as hardy as the Seckel, as 



