THE GARDEN AT HOME 



husk of the seed is carried up with them, and finally 

 thrown off. Most of the seeds with which the gardener 

 has to deal are exalbuminous, in which case the seedling 

 itself disposes of the husk after its first leaves are formed. 

 Propagation by means of seeds is the natural way, 

 and it has this advantage, that the progeny is usually 

 more vigorous and longer lived than that raised by 

 methods that may be described as artificial e.g. by 

 cuttings, division, layers, etc. Seeds from species or 

 wild types of plants breed true, unless the flowers have 

 been cross fertilised ; that is to say, the seedlings will 

 be like the parents were. Seeds of varieties (that is, 

 variations from the type) do not necessarily breed true, 

 although seeds of named varieties of flowers which have 

 been carefully selected and " rogued " and are sold by 

 seedsmen, vary little if at all. This is the case, for 

 instance, in many varieties of annuals, which come per- 

 fectly true from seed. By careful and continued selec- 

 tion, a variety becomes fixed. Supposing, for instance, 

 we bought a packet of mixed seed of Dahlia or Del- 

 phinium and of the several varieties that appeared one 

 happened to be especially pleasing and the grower wished 

 to perpetuate it. Seed saved from the chosen flower 

 would not come true, and it would take several years to 

 eliminate all rogues and to get the variety " fixed." A 

 simpler method would be to take cuttings or divide the 

 roots of the chosen plant these would yield flowers 

 like those of the parent. 



