LECTURE ON SPRING FLOWERING PLANTS. 351 



This is the "break" previously explained, this was step 

 one. Some of the seedlings raised from these would 

 give flowers of a still deeper colour. This was step two 

 which we recognise in the single rose-coloured Thorn, a 

 variety found growing in a hedge at Geddington in 

 Northamptonshire. Some of the offspring of this would 

 be of a still deeper colour step three, the new scarlet 

 Thorn. A seedling or a sport from this or the original 

 May of our hedgerows would produce double flowers, 

 and here was step four, the double white or new 

 double pink Thorn. Now, I am not asserting that 

 all these steps are authentically recorded, but it is 

 well known to those who are practically engaged in 

 these matters that such is the rule of progress. But the 

 origin of this new double crimson Thorn we do know. It 

 is not a seedling, but what is called a sport from the Double 

 Pink Thorn, that is, a branch of the double pink produced 

 flowers of this deep and beautiful hue. The branch was 

 budded and grafted, and the young plants so obtained 

 produced flowers of the same vivid colour. In the same 

 way have been produced the many varieties of the Common 

 Hawthorn, one of the most notable, the Weeping Thorn, 

 having been selected from a bed of seedlings by General 

 Monkton ; the upright growing variety was selected from a 

 bed of seedlings by Mr Ronalds of Brentford. Now, it is 

 the same with leaves as with flowers. Take the Pelar- 

 goniums before you. They are all originally produced 

 from green - leaved varieties, either from sports of 

 the branch, or later in their history from seeds of 

 the sports so fixed. The first variegated Pelargonium 

 originated by a branch of a green - leaved variety 

 producing variegated leaves. This branch was cultivated 

 till the habit became fixed. The seeds of these were saved 

 and sown, and a brood of young plants was produced, 

 retaining the variegation of the pacent. The plants before 

 you, which are seedlings, show this tendency ; on some 

 there are both green and variegated leaves. Now, to fix 



