Stability and Real Atavism 165 



lished a large volume on garden-plants, con- 

 taining a great number of very good engrav- 

 ings. Most of them of course show normal 

 plants, but intermixed with these are varieties, 

 that are still in cultivation and therefore must 

 be at least two centuries old. Others, though 

 not figured, are easily recognized by their names 

 and descriptions. The cockscomb is the most 

 widely known, but many white or double flow- 

 ered varieties were already cultivated at that 

 time. The striped Jalappa, the crested Sedum, 

 the fasciated crown-imperial, white strawber- 

 ries, red gooseberries and many others were 

 known to Munting. 



Some varieties are as old as culture itself, 

 and it is generally known that the Romans cul- 

 tivated the white form of the opium-poppy and 

 used the foliage of the red variety of the sugar- 

 beet as a vegetable. 



In our time flowers and fruits are changing 

 nearly as rapidly as the fancies and tastes of 

 men. Every year new forms are introduced 

 and usurp the place of older ones. Many are 

 soon forgotten. But if we look at old country 

 gardens, a goodly number of fine and valued old 

 sorts are still to be found. It would be worth 

 while to make special collections of living plants 

 of old varieties, which surely would be a good 

 and interesting work and bring about a convic- 



