BY SEED. 3 



laws, which greatly assist us in this process of amelioration, 

 Let us therefore examine the subject a little more in detail. 



In the wild state, every genus of trees consists of one or more 

 species, or strongly marked individual sorts ; as, for example, the 

 white birch and the black birch ; or, to confine ourselves more 

 strictly to the matter in hand, the different species of cherry, 

 the wild or bird cherry, the sour cherry, the mazzard cherry, 

 &c. These species, in their natural state, exactly reproduce 

 themselves ; to use a common phrase, they " come the same" 

 from seed. This they have done for centuries, and doubtless 

 will do forever, so long as they exist under natural circumstan- 

 ces only. 



On the other hand, suppose we select one of these species of 

 fruit-trees, and adopt it into our gardens. So long as we culti- 

 vate that individual tree, or any part of it, in the shape of suck- 

 er, graft, or bud, its nature will not be materially altered. It 

 may, indeed, through cultivation, be stimulated into a more luxu- 

 riant growth ; it will probably produce larger leaves and fruit; 

 but we shall neither alter its fruit in texture, color or taste. 

 It will always be identically the same. 



The process of amelioration begins with a new generation, and 

 by sowing the seeds. Some species of tree, indeed, seem to re- 

 fuse to yield their wild nature, never producing any variation 

 by seed ; but all fruit-trees and many others, are easily domesti- 

 cated, and more readily take the impress of culture. 



If we sow a quantity of seed in garden soil of the common 

 black mazzard cherry, ( Cerasus avium,) we shall find that, in the 

 leaves and habit of growth, many of the seedlings do not entire- 

 ly resemble the original speci :*. When they come into bearing, 

 it is probable w r e shall also find as great a diversity in the size, 

 color and flavor of the fruit. Each of these individual plants, 

 differing from the original type, (the mazzard,) constitutes a 

 new variety ; though only a few, perhaps only one, may be su- 

 perior to the original species. 



It is worthy of remark, that exactly in proportion as this re- 

 production is frequently repeated, is the change to a great va- 

 riety of forms, or new sorts increased. It is likely indeed, that 

 to gather the seeds from a wild mazzard in the woods, the in- 

 stances of departure from the form of the original species would 

 be very few ; while if gathered from a garden tree, itself some 

 time cultivated, or several removes from a wild state, though 

 still a mazzard, the seedlings will show great variety of cha- 

 racter. 



Once in the possession of a variety, which has moved out of 

 the natural into a more domesticated form, we have in our 

 hands the best material for the improving process. The fixed 

 original habit of the species is broken in upon, and this variety 

 which we have created, has always afterwards some tendency to 



