SOWING. 187 



may be more crude and colourless than when full 

 crops have moderated the growth, and qualified the 

 exuberant pulp ; but, as a general law, that fruit is 

 improved by the age of the tree, we must take leave 

 to deny. It may be remarked, however, that in the 

 United States of America, old established orchards 

 are said to yield fruits of superior quality, to those 

 from lately planted orchards of the same kind of 

 fruit. 



But that the seed of varieties of fruit-trees receive 

 impressions from the pollen of each other, has been 

 proved again and again, both by art and accident. By 

 this means new sub-varieties have been obtained ; but 

 it appears that the artificial impression extends only 

 to the impregnated seeds, and not to their progeny. 

 The seeds of Knight's Early Black Cherry, though 

 originally obtained by cross-impregnation, produce, 

 when sown, the common wild cherry, like all the 

 rest of the same family. In this it is like almost 

 all our other varieties and sub-varieties of cultivated 

 fruit. 



Foreign seeds of curious trees, shrubs, or other 

 plants, either tropical, or from very distant countries, 

 are always found more or less damaged during the 

 voyage. Some of them require soaking in water for 

 a few hours before sowing, and all need a brisk hot- 

 bed heat to prompt and assist vegetation. Nuts or 

 hard-shelled seeds are sometimes assisted by having 

 the points or bases of their shells Hied off before 



