

232 



SELECTION. 



Chap. XXL. 



absence of glands leads to mildew, which is highly injurious to 

 these trees. 



A difference either in flavour or in the amount of nutriment 

 in certain varieties causes them to be more eagerly attacked by 

 various enemies than other varieties of the same species. Bull- 

 finches (Pyrrhula vulgaris) injure our fruit-trees by devouring 

 the flower-buds, and a pair of these birds have been seen "to 

 denude a large plum-tree in a couple of days of almost every 

 bud ; " but certain varieties 31 of the apple and thorn {Cratmgm 

 oxyacantha) are more especially liable to be attacked. A stril 



of this 



striking 

 observed in Mr. Kivers's garden, in which 

 two rows of a particular variety of plum 32 had to be care- 

 fully protected, as they were usually stripped of all their buds 

 during the winter, whilst other sorts growing near them escaped. 

 The root (or enlarged stem) of Laing's Swedish turnip is pre- 

 ferred by hares, and therefore suffers more than other varieties. 

 Hares and rabbits eat down common rye before St. John's- 



day-rye, when both grow together 



33 



In 



South of France 



when an orchard of almond-trees is formed, the nuts of the bitter 



variety 



der 



that they may not be devoured by 



field-mice ; " 34 so we see the use of the bitter principle in almonds 

 Other slight differences, which would be thought quite unim- 

 portant, are no doubt sometimes of great service both to plants 

 and animals. 



produces its leaves later than other varieties, and, as the flowei 



The Whitesmith's gooseberry, as formerly stated 



left unprotected, the fruit often fails 



of the cherry 



In one variety 



ding to Mr. Eivers, 35 the petals are much 



curled backwards, and in consequence of this the stigmas 

 observed to be killed by a severe frost ; whilst at the same 

 another variety with incurved petals, the stigmas were 1 



the least injured 



The 



of the Fenton wheat is remark 



ably unt 

 that this 



qual 



m 



ht 



and 



a 



petent obser 



believes 



from beina: distributed at 



highly productive, partly because the 



various heights above the ground 







31 Mr. Selby, in 'Mag. of Zoology 

 and Botany/ Edinburgh, vol. ii., 1838, 

 p. 393. 



32 The Eeine Claude de Bavay, 

 'Journal of Horticulture,' Dec. 27, 

 1864, p. 511. 



33 



Mr. Pusey, in c Journal of K r 

 Agricult. Soc./ vol. vi. p. 179. For 

 Swedish turnips, see ' Gard. Cbron./ 

 1847, p. 91. 



34 Godron, < De FEspece,' torn. ii. p. 98. 



35 ' Gardener's Chron./ 1866, p. 732. 





f 



