OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



^53 



female plant, even when at no great diftance from a male, far lefs 

 upon the ftigmata of each feparate flower. Granting, however, the 

 pollen to be carried off from the male by the wind, yet, as the fup- 

 pofed fecundating aura it contains is much lighter than air, and is 

 difcharged by the flighteft moifture, it can never fall down upon ths 

 diftant females, but muft rife and diffipate in the higher regions of 

 the atmofphere. It may alfo be difcharged by the application of raia 

 or dews before the pollen is carried off by the wind from the male 

 flowers : And, if the winds blow in a direction contrary to the fitu- 

 ation of the female plants for a few critical hours, the females muft 

 be rendered barren, at leaft for a feafon. 



It is an eftablifhed fadt, that coleworts, turnips, &c. when grow- 

 ing in gardens, fometimes produce new varieties. Thefe varieties 

 the fexualifts uniformly hold up as inftances of hybrids, or mong- 

 rels, from fortuitous commixtures of different males and females. 

 This conclufion, however, feems to be precipitate. It is well known 

 to nurferymen and gardeners, that, from feeds of the fame indivi- 

 dual plants, varieties fometimes appear. If thefe varieties chance to 

 have any qualities fuperior in value to the original plants, their feeds, 

 ihoots, or flips, are colleded, and the new kind is propagated with 

 diligence. That the beauty of flowers, and the magnitude and fla- 

 vour of fruits are improveable by particular modes of culture, and 

 even by unknown accidents, is an undeniable truth : That thefe im- 

 proved qualities, in whatever manner procured, continue in the kind, 

 unlefs allowed to degenerate by negligence, is not lefs true. But 

 there is nothing fo wonderful in thefe phenomena as to require ths 

 moft unbounded ftretches of fancy to account for them. Are not 

 the beauty, ftrength, and magnitude of animals, equally improve- 

 able by culture ? Does not an ox, tranfported from the comparative* 

 ly barren mountains of Scotland, to the rich paftures of Yorkfliirej 

 affume qualitiea very different from thofe he originally pofliflTed?' 



Why,, 



