NEW CREATIONS IN PLANT LIFE 



you wish. Fix this firmly in your mind, and 

 constantly select with this end in view. And 

 be not led astray from it by some other inter- 

 esting manifestation of the flower ; or, if some- 

 thing unusual does develop, side-track this 

 for further test, and keep on the main track, 

 doing all faithfully, consistently, enthusiasti- 

 cally, and the desired end will come. It must 

 be ever borne in mind that only those plants 

 must be kept which are pressing onward 

 toward the ideal. All the rest must be 

 destroyed, or else they will be liable to mix 

 with the ones under test and thus lower the 

 standard. 



Naturally, the more extensive botanical and 

 historical knowledge one has of a given plant 

 under experiment, the better, — its habits, its 

 former environment, its needs as to soil, 

 amount of moisture, preference for sunshine or 

 shade, and so on, its complete life history. 



For crossing first and then selection, he 

 places the violet near the head of the list as 

 the flower now offering to the amateur one of 

 the finest fields for experimentation. It is 

 somewhat more difficult to cross than some of 

 the others, but stiU, with a little patience, may 



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