Origin of Species and Varieties 601 



all the seeds. And as nature affords such op- 

 portunities only at rare intervals, we should 

 make use of artificial methods. Large quan- 

 tities of seed should be gathered from wild 

 plants and sowed under very favorable condi- 

 tions, giving all the nourishment and space re- 

 quired to the young seedlings. It is recom- 

 mended that they be sown under glass, either in 

 a glass-house or protected against cold and rain 

 by glass-frames. The same lot of seed will be 

 seen to yield twice or thrice as many seedlings 

 if thus protected, compared with what it would 

 have produced when sown in the field or in the 

 garden. I have nearly wholly given up sowing 

 seeds in my garden, as circumstances can be 

 controlled and determined with greater ex- 

 actitude when the sowing is done in a glass- 

 house. 



The best proof perhaps, of the unfavorable 

 influence of external conditions for slightly de- 

 teriorated deviations is afforded by variegated 

 leaves. Many beautiful varieties are seen in 

 our gardens and parks, and even corn has a 

 variety with striped leaves. They are easily re- 

 produced, both by buds and by seeds, and they 

 are the most ordinary of all varietal deviations. 

 They may be expected to occur wild also. But 

 no real variegated species, nor even good 

 varieties with this attribute occurs in nature. 



