THE WINTER RHUBARB 



hand, every gardener knows that he cannot by 

 any process of cultivation make the ordinary 

 rhubarb plant change its fixed habit of spring 

 production. No amount of coaxing and no man- 

 ner of soil cultivation or fertilization can take 

 from the rhubarb the impelling force of the 

 hereditary tendency to put forth its stalks in the 

 spring time rather than in summer or fall or 

 winter. 



And a similar fixity of habit characterizes in 

 greater or less measure, most other familiar culti- 

 vated plants. Artificial selection has extended 

 the season in certain cases, and early or late- 

 bearing varieties have been developed as already 

 noted; but for each variety the habit of producing 

 at a given time of year is one of the most fixed 

 and as regards any given generation unalter- 

 able of tendencies. 



Recalling this it will not seem strange that the 

 Australian winter rhubarb retains its habit of 

 winter production notwithstanding the fact that 

 it had been transplanted to a hemisphere where 

 the climatic conditions of its winter were dia- 

 metrically changed. 



ILLUSTRATIONS FROM BIRDLAND 



Perhaps the all-importance of this inherent 

 tendency to gauge habits in accordance with the 

 calendar will be more clearly apprehended if we 



[183] 



