﻿132 
  Forty-seventh 
  Report 
  on 
  the 
  State 
  Museum. 
  

  

  A 
  record 
  of 
  observations 
  on 
  species 
  previously 
  reported, 
  

   remarks 
  concerning 
  them 
  and 
  descriptions 
  of 
  new 
  or 
  peculiar 
  

   forms 
  or 
  varieties 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  under 
  D. 
  An 
  inspection 
  of 
  this 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  report 
  will 
  show 
  that 
  more 
  attention 
  than 
  usual 
  has 
  

   been 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  variations 
  in 
  our 
  flowering 
  plants 
  

   and 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  deficiencies 
  in 
  the 
  descriptions 
  of 
  the 
  

   Manual. 
  The 
  study 
  of 
  these 
  variations 
  and 
  their 
  causes 
  is 
  a 
  most 
  

   interesting 
  one 
  and 
  is 
  not 
  without 
  its 
  practical 
  value. 
  It 
  is 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  give 
  us 
  a 
  more 
  complete 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  limits 
  and 
  

   behavior 
  of 
  species 
  and 
  to 
  enable 
  us 
  to 
  write 
  complete 
  and 
  satis- 
  

   factory 
  descriptions 
  of 
  them. 
  It 
  is 
  noticeable 
  that 
  most 
  of 
  our 
  

   cultivated 
  plants 
  are 
  very 
  variable. 
  By 
  cultivation, 
  selection, 
  

   crossing 
  and 
  close 
  pollination 
  the 
  natural 
  variations 
  have 
  been 
  

   fixed 
  and 
  even 
  intensified 
  so 
  that 
  we 
  have 
  varieties 
  apparently 
  as 
  

   distinct 
  as 
  species 
  themselves. 
  Differences 
  in 
  soil, 
  climate, 
  

   degrees 
  of 
  moisture 
  and 
  prevailing 
  temperature 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  

   causes 
  of 
  variation 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  but 
  these 
  external 
  influences 
  are 
  

   not 
  sufficient 
  to 
  explain 
  all 
  cases 
  of 
  variation. 
  For 
  example 
  in 
  

   a 
  low 
  strip 
  of 
  land 
  lying 
  along 
  the 
  railroad 
  near 
  Narrows- 
  

   burg, 
  five 
  distinct 
  forms 
  or 
  varieties 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  racemed 
  

   loosestrife 
  were 
  found. 
  These, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  could 
  be 
  ascertained, 
  all 
  

   grew 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  kind 
  of 
  soil 
  and 
  subject 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  external 
  

   conditions. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  single 
  patch 
  of 
  the 
  bland 
  or 
  early 
  wild 
  rose 
  growing 
  near 
  

   the 
  station 
  at 
  Cooperstown 
  Junction, 
  although 
  the 
  patch 
  was 
  

   but 
  a 
  few 
  feet 
  in 
  diameter, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  shoots 
  have 
  

   infrastipular 
  spines, 
  but 
  most 
  of 
  them, 
  as 
  usual, 
  were 
  destitute 
  of 
  

   these 
  spires. 
  What 
  should 
  cause 
  the 
  differences 
  noted 
  in 
  these 
  

   instances? 
  It 
  is 
  sometimes 
  said 
  that 
  plants 
  have 
  an 
  inherent 
  

   tendency 
  to 
  vary, 
  but 
  this 
  scarcely 
  enlightens 
  us 
  or 
  gives 
  a 
  satis- 
  

   factory 
  explanation 
  of 
  the 
  results 
  observed. 
  Even 
  the 
  influence 
  

   of 
  cross 
  pollination 
  and 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  laws 
  of 
  heredity 
  do 
  not 
  

   seem 
  a 
  sufficient 
  or 
  satisfactory 
  explanation 
  in 
  all 
  cases. 
  But 
  

   whatever 
  the 
  hidden 
  or 
  unknown 
  causes 
  of 
  such 
  variations 
  may 
  

   be 
  the 
  resulting 
  phenomena 
  are 
  certainly 
  interesting 
  to 
  the 
  

   student 
  of 
  nature 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  useful 
  plants 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  

   without 
  utility. 
  They 
  indicate 
  a 
  peculiar 
  kind 
  of 
  adaptability 
  in 
  

   the 
  species 
  to 
  varying 
  conditions 
  of 
  growth 
  and 
  to 
  wider 
  fields 
  

   of 
  usefulness. 
  

  

  