396 THE NATIONALITY OR NATIVITY, DENIZENSHIP OR 
examples are found in a given tract. Its range is also more 
limited, extending probably only to the middle of England, 
being as rare in the north of England as the Apple-tree is im 
Scotland. On these two facts the nativity of the Apple-tree and 
the non-nativity of the Pear-tree are inferred. Are the facts 
sufficient to warrant the inferences? The Apple-tree may have 
been introduced, though very long since; so may the Pear-tree: 
the latter may have been a denizen of this country as long as 
the other. It may be assumed that both can propagate them- 
selves either from accidentally distributed pips (seeds), or from 
such plants as may have been planted on purpose. That the 
Pear-tree has increased without the aid of human agents we 
have as certain, though not so many proofs, as in the case of the 
Apple. Old Pear-trees have been seen in hedges, accompanied 
with young ones; the ancient trees have disappeared and the 
more recent ones have taken their places. If the distribution 
of the Pear-tree is to be ascribed to the orchard, to what cause 
are we to ascribe the distribution of Senebiera didyma and simi- 
lar species which are not said to have been cultivated for use, 
and certainly never for ornament ? 
Tf any one will take the pains to run his eye over a list of 
English plants, he will probably find that four-fifths of the spe- 
cies classed under the names of alien or denizen are cultivated, 
or have been cultivated, either for utilitarian or ornamental pur- 
poses. He would be thought a bold man who should assert that 
the Pear-tree was originally introduced and that the Apple-tree 
was not (we neither affirm nor deny the fact, we think it incapa- 
ble of proof, either in the affirmative or in the negative). Who 
doubts that the Apple-tree, whether original or introduced, has 
the ability of self-propagation, and who denies the same power 
to the Pear-tree? Few, we opine, would ask this, or consider it 
a doubtful question: this is not incapable of proof. If the 
term native is to be restricted to such plants as are unquestion- 
ably indigenous, or have existed in this island ever since it 
emerged from chaos or from the domains of Neptune, our list 
of British native species would be very short. If-all probably 
’ introduced species are to be excluded from our catalogues, the 
- number of indigenous species would be reduced to one-half or 
probably to one-third of the number growing spontaneously. 
Most of our gregarious plants are probably indigenous, such 
