238 Plant-Breeding 



towards the poles, plant it late in the season, or transplant 

 it repeatedly. Dwarf peas become climbing peas on rich, 

 moist lands. If the plant must have large fruits, allow it 

 more food and room, and give attention to pruning and 

 thinning. Certain geographical regions develop certain 

 characters in plants, as we have seen ; if, therefore, the 

 desired feature does not appear spontaneously or as a 

 result of any other treatment, transfer the plant for a 

 time to that region which is characterized by such attri- 

 butes, if there is any such. It is not intended to convey 

 the impression that the placing of plants on poor soil will 

 directly cause a dwarfing which will be inherited, or large 

 size on good soils, but if the plant already holds the 

 characteristic of dwarfness or some other quality in a 

 latent form, it will probably appear if the conditions are 

 made right. 



The importance of growing the plant under conditions 

 or environments in which the desired type of characters 

 is most frequently found, is admirably emphasized in the 

 evolution of varieties which are adapted to forcing under 

 glass. Within a century and in many instances within 

 a score of years species that are practically unknown 

 to glass-houses have produced varieties perfectly adapted 

 to them. This has been accomplished by growing the 

 most tractable existing varieties, selecting those which 

 most completely adapt themselves to their environment 

 and to the ideals of the operator. One of the most re- 

 markable examples of this kind is afforded by the carna- 

 tion. In Europe it was chiefly a border or outdoor plant, 

 but within a generation it had produced hosts of excellent 

 forcing varieties in America, where it is grown almost ex- 



