CHAPTER II. 



PRODUCTION OF NEW VARIETIES. 



The tendency is more or less common with all plants, 

 when successively produced from seed, to depart from the 

 character first stamped upon them. These departures give 

 rise to new varieties. This tendency to vary is increased as 

 plants are removed from their native localities; and in an 

 eminent degree by cultivation. Planted in gardens, and sub- 

 jected to high culture, repeated and successive sowings often 

 develop striking changes in those which for previous centu- 

 ries had remained unchanged. By a constant selection of 

 seeds from the best, a gradual improvement on the original is 

 efEected. Most of our finest fruits doubtless owe their exist- 

 ence to this improving process. 



While a few of the seedlings from such improved varieties 

 may become still further improved, a far greater number will 

 probably approach toward the original or wild state. The 

 more highly improved the fruit, the greater the difficulty to 

 find one of its progeny which shall excel or equal the parent. 

 In ten thousand seedlings from those high-flavored apples, the 

 Swaar and Esopus Spitzenberg, it may be quite doubtful if 

 any shall equal in quality those fruits themselves, while most 

 may fall considerably below them. 



The improvements efEected in former ages were doubtless 

 the result of accident, as the ancients were ignorant of the 

 means for their systematic accomplishment. The greatest 

 progress in the art made in modern times was effected by Van 

 Mons in Belgium and Knight in England. 



Van Mons, who directed his labors chiefly to the pear, ob- 

 tained many new and excellent varieties, by a constant and 

 successive selection of the best seedlings. He first made a 

 large collection of natural stocks, or wild pears, choosing 



i6 



