600 History of Celery. [July, 
becomes more complicated, and we find it difficult in all cases to 
connect the sequence of cause and effect. One fact, however, 
through careful observations, seems undoubtedly true, that by 
selection alone, without the assistance of the break caused bya 
cross-fertilization, changes in our plant are extremely slow, and 
many generations are required to obtain and fix any change other 
than increase which is sufficient to be noted by the casual eye. 
In support of this view we can direct attention to the little change 
that has been produced by centuries of culture in those plants 
which represent but improved formis of a wild species, such as thes" 
parsnip, scorzonera, salsify, etc., among roots; and we may also 
call attention to the stability of type-form during centuries of 
culture in the eggplant, pepper, and I may even add the pump- 
ye kin. Perhaps one of the most interesting instances of increase 
-of size without change of type can be seen in the watermelon. 
The old herbalists figure this fruit of small size, but as is very 
likely, only small varieties were commonly grown in Europe. 
John Bauhin, whose history of plants was published in 1650, 
many years after it was written (he died in 1613), states the 
watermelon to be so large that one could scarcely embrace it with 
the two hands, “quos fere ambabus manibus ambias.” Marg- 
gravis, whose history of natural productions of Brazil was pub- 
lished in 1648, describes the watermelon as being as large as 
one’s head, “ magnitudine capitis humani.” That our present 
a types of fruit were then known is evidenced in many ways but 
can be given succinctly by Caspar Bauhin’s statement 1n his ; 
_ Pinax, edition of 1623, that some have a green skin, others 4 
skin spotted with dingy white; the flesh of some red, of othes f 
white; the seeds black, red and tawny, in varieties. Ray de- 
scribes the fruit as round, or globose or even elliptical. In mod- 
ern times we have fruit so large that my arms cannot embrace 
_ the oval, and a weight of ninety-six pounds has been ¢ 
probably with justice. ! 
In seeking for a good illustration of the stability of vE 4 
` joined with a change produced by cultivation and selectio™ 
have taken the celery, as this vegetable seems to be of modern 
A: rs to a water: 
mi 
i i 
1 Card. 
melon, “ Magnitudo quandoque tanta, ut homo expansis ls it “AD 
 queat;” but then Cardanus was dealing with wonderful things! He calls a 
_ guria, qua melopeponem ob it Galenus yocat, quod non distincta sit can 
_ Pepon sed rotunda ut pomum.” 
