Duration of Races of Plants. 165 



trary to the " laws of vegetable life for races of plants to run 

 out," and can, therefore, not be true. I will not presume to 

 enter the lists with that talented and learned horticulturalist, 

 Lindley, or to enter on the defence of the opinions of the late 

 Mr. Knight, to whose observing and practical knowledge and 

 experience, the world is largely indebted for the present ele- 

 vated position of pomology, though I would not pass them 

 by without due " respect." The truth is readily admitted, that 

 in the original state, " races of plants are constantly repro- 

 ducing their kind without change or wearing out." But does 

 the subject not assume a different aspect by the application of 

 science and art, in changing the original condition and char- 

 acter of the oflFspring of a race or variety ? May we not, 

 with as much propriety, expect the Williams's Bonchretien 

 pear to reproduce its sort from seed, as to argue that there 

 can be no such thing as a sort becoming worthless or run 

 out, from the admitted fact, that in an original condition veg- 

 etation proceeds on without degenerating ? Why not 7 it is 

 an offspring of the original pear, which does continue to re- 

 produce from seed, its kind, as it always has when unmo- 

 lested by foreign agents. Is the answer not plain 7 it no longer 

 possesses the entire properties of the original parent. It has 

 undergone a radical change. 



The botanist finds no difficulty in classing or understand- 

 ing the order, to which plants belong in the natural or origi- 

 nal condition, but when he comes in contact with the perver- 

 sion the ingenuity of man has given the subject, his beau- 

 tiful system of application ceases to apply, and he calls it a 

 " monster," of which he finds man has produced an endless 

 variety, of as many hues and character, which can only be 

 propagated or continued in existence by an unnatural pro- 

 cess ; or, in other words, by a process not known to the origi- 

 nal law of propagation. We cannot go back to the original 

 parent to renew a vitiated health, by the natural process of 

 generation from seed, hence the analogy does not hold good. 

 To prove this, it is only necessary to attempt the continua- 

 tion or reproduction of the Williams's Bonchretien, or any 

 other individual sort of our fine pear, by what is termed the 

 natural process, that is, from the seed. If this cannot be 

 done, are we then not called on to consider a new creation. 



