The Forward Movement in Plant- Breeding 295 



names. We have introduced these classes, have sorted 

 out the particular forms that promise to be of value to us, 

 and have given them specific American names* Some time 

 ago a native professor in Japan wrote me asking for cions 

 of these plums, in order that he might introduce Japanese 

 plums into Japan. The Russian apples are designated to 

 some extent by class names ; in fact, it was not until the 

 appearance of Regel's work, about a. generation ago, that 

 Russian pomology may be said to have begun. What 

 constitutes a variety is increasingly more difficult to define, 

 because we are constantly differentiating on smaller 

 points. The growth of the variety-conception is really 

 the growth of the power of analysis. 



The earlier recognized varieties seem to have come into 

 existence unchallenged. There is very little record of 

 inquiry as to how or why or even where they originated. 

 That is, the quest of the origin arose long after the 

 recognition of the variety as a variety. Even after 

 inquisitive search into origins had begun, there was little 

 effort to produce these varieties. The describing of varie- 

 ties and the search into their histories was a special work 

 of the nineteenth century. One has only to consult such 

 American works as Downing's " Fruits and Fruit Trees 

 of America," and Burr's " Field and Garden Vegetables of 

 America," to see how carefully and methodically the 

 descriptions and synonymy of the varieties were worked 

 out. These are types of excellent pieces of editorial and 

 formal systematic work. 



Systematic improvement of plants. There have been 

 isolated efforts at producing varieties for many years. 

 These efforts began before the time of the general discus- 



