HISTORY OF THE ArPLE. 47 



dcncy to make inc a convert to the avowed views of that 

 great Belgian Pomologist, while, on the contrary, the 

 riiiiiors of liis oi)i)onents, that he was really attempting to 

 jirodnce crosses from some of the best fruits, as our gar- 

 tlfiicrs liavo uiost successfully doue in numerous instances, 

 in the lieautifid flowers and delicious vegetables of modern 

 horticulture, have always impressed me with a color of 

 ]iruba1(ility, and if he were not actually and intentionally 

 inij)regnating the blossoms with pollen of the better vari- 

 eties, natural causes, such as the moving currents of air, 

 and the ever active insects, whose special function in many 

 instaiii-e.s ajipears to be the conveyance of pollen, would 

 neiTssarily cause an admixture, which, in a promiscuous 

 and ("rowded collection, like the "school of Van Mons," 

 would at least have an equal chance of producing an im- 

 provement in some of the resulting seeds. 



The whole subject of variation in species, the existence 

 of varieiic's, and also of those jiartial sjyorts, which may 

 |ierhaps be considered as still more temporary variations 

 from the originals, than those which come throuo-h the 

 seeds, is one of deep interest, well worthy of our study, 

 but, concerning whidi we must confess ourselves as yet 

 quite ignorant, and our best botanists do not agree even 

 as to the specific distinctions that have been set up as 

 rliaraders of some of our familiar plants, for the most 

 I'liiiiicni ditll-r with regard to the species of some of our 

 rtiniinon trees and plants. 



KIXMNd HIT OF VAMETIES. 



It has l)ii-n a very generally received opinion amonw in- 

 lilliiri-ni IVuii-growers, that any given variety of fruit can 



