Reproduction in Relation to Agriculture 225 



that have been seen, this was the first one in which a red 

 color was noticed. In some unknown way there was produced 

 in this plant a red pigment not formed in other sunflowers. 

 From the seeds of this plant there were developed other plants 

 having red pigment in their flowers. Evidently the new 

 character is inherited and these sunflowers have a chemical 

 constitution which enables red pigment as well as yellow to 

 be formed. The sudden appearance of the sunflower with 

 the red pigment is an example of mutation. Individuals that 

 first show new characters are called mutants (Latin : mutare, 

 to change). 



What the plant breeders have long known as '^ sports " are 

 the rare mutants in which notable changes have occurred. 

 They show new characters, and these characters are in- 

 herited. Consequently, their discovery is of the greatest 

 importance. 



The Concord grape was a mutant selected from among many 

 seedlings, the others of which showed only the usual variations. 

 The many modern varieties of tomato have been developed 



Fig. 141. Varieties derived from the wild cabbage (F), a native plant of Europe. 

 A is kohl-rabi, B cabbage, C cauliflower, D kale, and E Brussels sprouts. 



