440 ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF PLANTS. 



cases, because I believe the farmer, market gardener, and 

 seed grower, whatever attention they may be giving to 

 cross-breeding now, have in the past derived their im- 

 provements chiefly, if not entirely, from selection ; whereas 

 the horticulturist has been for many years past working 

 more or less ardently in both fields. There has, however, 

 I believe, even with him, till recently been but little 

 hybridising or cross-breeding with vegetables ; more per- 

 haps, and for a longer period, with fruits ; and most of all, 

 and for the longest period, with flowers. 



The vegetables and flowers which I have improved by 

 selection merely are somewhat numerous ; among the 

 former Parsley and Brussels Sprouts. 



Parsley was the first plant I endeavoured to improve 

 by selecting for seed one or two individual plants from a 

 large bed, the unusually double or curled leaves of the 

 selected plants having pleased my fancy. The result was 

 so striking in the following year that I was encouraged to 

 persevere, and did so from year to year with increasing 

 success, until Paul's Parsley became household words. 

 Brussels Sprouts, the seed of which it was considered 

 necessary in those days to import from the Continent, 

 was the next plant taken in hand, and I proved over a 

 series of years, to my own satisfaction at least, that it was 

 neither the Continental soil nor air, but the practice of a 

 rigorous selection that gave to the Continental seed an 

 acknowledged superiority. 



The Aster was the next plant taken in hand, and with 

 the same results. Stocks, Pansies, Roses, Cinerarias, 

 Hollyhocks, Zonal Pelargoniums, Chinese Primulas, and 

 Polyanthuses were taken up in due succession, similarly 

 dealt with, and similarly improved. 



The Hollyhock would seem to demand at my hands 

 more than a passing word. To the improvement of the 

 flowers of this plant by selection I gave long and close 

 attention from the year 1853 to 1857. Let me submit to 

 your notice some of the results of the sowing of seeds 



