THE SELF-FERTILIZATION OF PLANTS. 341 



sterile, and of self-impotent plants. Those ideas, — viz., 

 " serious defects in structure," and " mutual relation 

 of the parts," — are the threads which will lead the in- 

 quirer, safely through the labyrinth of plant-sterility. 



As the development, of the different varieties of 

 Plants, differs ; and, as positive characters are gener- 

 ally found, in each, which are absent in the other 

 varieties, - it becomes matter of little surprise, that 

 good, — viz., constitutional vigor, and fertility, — flows 

 from the crossing of two varieties. 



To show, that the reproductive organs are not 

 necessarily implicated, in this good resulting from a 

 cross, it is necessary only to refer to the phenomena, 

 which Darwin gives, showing that the good, from the 

 union of two varieties, is displayed, even when the 

 union is effected by Grafting ! 



In order to improve in fertility and vigor, nothing 

 more is needed, tiian the accession, to the individual, 

 of characters which it lacked. It is immaterial, how 

 this may be effected. The gain to physiological integ- 

 rity accrues, whether the return, to the sum of all the 

 positive characters of the species, be secured by means 

 of Reversion, of Crossing, or of Grafting ! 



The following are proofs, from Darwin, showing the 

 evil, entailed by the reduction of characters to a 

 rudimentary condition, and entailed by the dispropor- 

 tionate development, effected by Man, in attending 

 exclusively to the culture of some one part which he 

 values, in a Plant. It must be noted, in connection 

 with these proofs, that Darwin is, confessedly, in pro- 

 found ignorance, both of their cause, and of the reason 



