VARIETIES. 



ftrofity, that has fallen in his way, in the parts of fruftifica- 

 tion ; nor can it be doubted that, under fo acute an in- 

 fpeftor, new fecrets of Nature are likely to be difcovered. 

 We fhall conclude this fubjeft with one remark, that, as in 

 the eftablilhment of generic or fpecific charafters, no rule 

 whatever is perfeftly abfolute ; fo there are feveral diftinc- 

 tions, in moft inftances decidedly indicative of a fpecies, 

 that in others hardly mark a variety. Such are, the leaves 

 being oppofite or alternate, fimple or compound, ferrated 

 or entire : the flowers terminal or lateral, with or without 

 petals. Examples of fuch differences, on the fame indi- 

 vidual plant, will occur to the recolleftion of every botanift ; 

 yet every one knows that, under the direftion of common 

 fenfe and the moft trivial degree of obfervation, nothing can 

 afford more clear and abfolute fpecific charafters. 



Varieties, in Gardening, the different variations of 

 plants of the fame general nature from that of the parent or 

 particular fort from which they came. They are, of courfe, 

 the offspring of certain peculiar determinate forts, which 

 vary in feme accidental particular of their habits of growth, 

 or fome other circumftance, from the natural original fort, 

 or parent plant. But although this is the cafe, as their 

 variations are, for the moft part, confined to fome particular 

 part or parts, they ftill retain the fpecific mark or marks of 

 diftinftion of the parent plant, which difcriminates them 

 from thofe of other different forts. Confequently there are 

 frequently numerous varieties from the fame fort, all of 

 which differ from it, either in their manners of growth, 

 foliage, flowers, the economical qualities which they poffefs, 

 or fome other particular of a fimilar nature. All kinds of 

 plants, both of the annual, biennial, and perennial defcrip- 

 tions, as well as thofe of the herb and tree fort, are liable to 

 vary in this way. This is effefted by different modes and 

 kinds of culture, by the nature of the climate, by that of 

 the foil, by the ufe of particular forts of manure and other 

 materials, by frequent changes in their fituation, by age, 

 and in many other methods, and refpefts their differences 

 in fize and magnitude, their luxuriant, dwarfifti, ereft or 

 traihng growths, their being fmooth or prickly ; the nature 

 and fhape of their leaves, as broad, narrow, entire, divided, 

 curled, fpotted, variegated, round, oval, Iharp, blunt, &c. ; 

 fmooth, hairy, downy : in their flowers, as fingle, double, 

 proliferous, white, red, blue, yellow, variegated, &c. : in 

 their fmell, as fweet-fcented, rank-fcented, &c. : alfo in the 

 form, fize, colour, tafte, quality, &c. of the fruit, in fome 

 cafes, as round, oval, oblong, fmooth, furrowed, warted, 

 hairy, downy, large, fmall, red, green, four, fweet, compaft, 

 pulpy, &c. as in the cucumber, melon, apple, pear, goofe- 

 berry, currant, &c. : likewife, in particular inftances, in 

 the fhape and appearances of the roots, as in the carrot, the 

 radifh, the turnip, the potatoe, &c. : in the manner of 

 their producing their feeds, fruits, &c. ; as in the hop, 

 fpinach, hemp, &c. ; and the cucumber, melon, &c. And 

 it takes place in many other circumftances. 



However, notwithftanding thefe different modes of varia- 

 tion in the particular parts of the variating plants of a 

 peculiar fort, if thofe of each fuch fort ftill all maintain tlie 

 fame fpecific mark of diftinftion as that which charafterizes 

 and difcriminates the refpeftive natural forts from all others, 

 it (hews them all the offspring, or varieties, of the fame 

 original fort. For as every different and diftinft fort, in 

 any particular kind of plants, is difcriminated by fome 

 peculiar, uniform, conftant mark or appearance in fome 

 part of its growth, all the plants of the fame particular kind 

 unchangeably bearing exaftly the fame, are, notwithftanding 

 their accidental variation in other parts of their growth, all 



varieties of one fort. Confequently all the plants whidh 

 are produced from the feed of the fame particular fort, 

 however they may put on different forms and appearances, 

 are to be confidered as the real varieties of it. 



The difference betwixt any particular fort and that of | 

 a variety, is, that a really true fort, raifed from feed, will, i 

 though it may fport into many variations, ftill retain and 

 keep its true and invariable mark of diftinftion through all j 

 its varieties ; and although there may be varieties of that 

 particular fort with different fized leaves, and colours of 

 the flowers, &c. ; if the feed of any one be fown, it will 

 probably produce young plants of all thefe kinds, each 

 having the characleriftic difcriminating mark of the parent. 



It is, indeed, in a great meafure, from plants of the 

 feedling kind, that the different varieties of particular forts 

 were firft obtained, as in the cafe of the auricula, polyan- 

 thus, &c. each being a diftinft fort of the fame kind, and 

 each of which confifts of innumerable varieties, in the colours 

 and variegations of the flowers, firft gained in this way, the 

 feed of the fame plant often producing a great diverfity in 

 this refpeft, each variation of colour, &c. forming a real 

 vai-iety ; but probably not one of them with a flower 

 exactly like that of the original parent plant : yet each 

 variety retains the fpecific difference of its refpeftive par- 

 ticular fort, the auricula, for inftance, never changing to 

 the polyanthus, nor that to the auricula, but the varieties 

 of each keep their proper diftinftion ; as the auricula, in all 

 its varieties, continues its fmooth Jlejhy ferrated leaves ; and 

 the polyanthus, its rough-toothed leaves. And the fame is 

 the cafe with the carnation, the ranunculus, the anemone, 

 the tulip, and a great number of other flower-garden plants. 



The tree kind, efpecially thofe for the produftion of fruit, 

 are particularly difpofed to form varieties, equally in their 

 modes of growth, their foliage, and the fruit ; for inftance, 

 one original fort of apple-tree is only admitted, but which 

 furnifhes an almoft endlefs variety of fruit, in regard to 

 fliape, fize, colour, tafte, quality, &c. as well as in the 

 growth of the trees, fo far as refpefts their fize or magni- 

 tude, the dimenfions and colours of the foliage, &c. ; the 

 fpecific diftinftion of which is, ferrated leai>es, and clofe- 

 fetting Jtoivers in the form of an umbel, which runs through all 

 the numerous varieties, however different the trees may be 

 in fize, growth, leaves, and fruit. And the fame takes 

 place in the pear, the plum, the common cherry, the peach, 

 and many others, there being only one principal fort of each 

 of thefe, but the varieties of the fruit are many in number, 

 vfhich, in all thefe forts of trees, were originally obtained 

 from feedling plants, that is, fuch trees as were raifed by 

 fetting the ftones or kernels of the fruit. Almoft all the 

 fruit-tree kind fport greatly in their feedling plants, fo that 

 out of hundreds of trees raifed from the feeds of the beft 

 fruits, very few, if any, will produce fruit exaftly like that 

 of the parent plant, or which poffefs any good perfeftion. 

 Therefore, on account of the uncertainty of producing and 

 continuing the approved forts of fruit from feedling plants, 

 recourfe is conftantly neceffary to be had, in the praftice of 

 gardening, to the modes of grafting, budding, and, in fome 

 inftances, the making of layers and cuttings, in order to 

 propagate the intended and defired forts, or to continue 

 and increafe any good newly acquired variety. 



The greater number of varieties in herbaceous plants, as 

 well as many kinds of fruit and other trees, are of a variable 

 and fporting nature, fo that when raifed from feed, there is 

 no dependance on having the feedling plants coming again cf 

 the fame fort, but varying into different forts of one another. 

 In cafes of this nature, the propagation of fuch of them as 



are 



