304 CULTIVATED PLANTS AND THEIR ORIGIN 



flavour of those parts of the plants, for which they are grown, 

 the other parts or members of the plant being much the same 

 in both the wild and the cultivated state. 



For example, among apples, pears, plums, strawberries and 

 other plants which are grown for their fruits, the flowers, stems 

 and leaves are similar to those of the crab, wild pear, sloe and 

 strawberry from which they have been derived, but how different 

 are their fruits. 



In the cases of plants grown for their roots only, it is the root 

 which manifests the greatest amount of deviation from the wild 

 prototype, as may be seen by comparing the roots, stems, leaves 

 and flowers of the wild carrot and wild parsnip with those of the 

 cultivated varieties. 



The peculiar characteristics which distinguish cultivated from 

 wild plants are seen to be connected with increased usefulness 

 to mankind, and it is through man's agency that these useful 

 modifications have reached their present state of development : 

 without the care and constant attention of the farmer and 

 gardener the cultivated types would disappear. 



In addition to the maintenance of cultivated varieties at their 

 present level of excellence endeavours are continually being 

 made to modify and improve them ; old varieties are being 

 altered so that either the yield of their useful parts is increased, 

 or the colour, size, form, flavour, time of ripening, keeping 

 qualities or hardiness is improved. The mode in which this 

 improvement takes place is indicated in the subsequent paragraphs 

 of this chapter. 



2. Bud-varieties or ' sports.' — -The buds upon a plant resemble 

 each other so much that they all develop into shoots very closely 

 alike, so far as the colour and form of their stems, leaves, 

 flowers and fruits are concerned. It is, however, occasionally 

 noticed among perennial farm and garden plants that single buds 

 upon certain individuals grow out and produce shoots which 

 differ very greatly from the shoots arising from the rest of the 



