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HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



beech in his grounds at Enghien, which produced 

 a considerable proportion of plants from seeds 

 closely resembling the parent, while other trees 

 of the same age and size in the same grounds 

 produced invariably plants having green leaves, 

 and in all respects like the common beech. In 

 regard to the aptitude of fruit trees to produce 

 plants from seed slightly removed in quality 

 from the tree from which the seed was taken, 

 we may mention the golden pippin apple and 

 the green-gage plum, which often do \ produce 

 plants whose fruit is as little different from the 

 originals as that of the progeny of the wild plum 

 or crab apple is different from the trees from 

 whence the seeds were gathered. It should, 

 however, be remarked, that as these two fruits 

 are amongst the very best of their class, and 

 may have taken many generations to have 

 brought them to their high condition, it is pos- 

 sible that it may take as many more to reduce 

 them in quality to their original or natural state. 

 The circumstance also strongly favours the 

 theory laid down by Dr Van Mons in the 

 "Journal d' Agriculture des Pays Bas," of Mr G. 

 Lindley in " Guide to the Orchard," both else- 

 where referred to, as well as that of most culti- 

 vators who have made the propagation of im- 

 proved fruits and plants their study. The 

 practice of our best seed-savers is to save seed 

 only from plants in the highest state of perfec- 

 tion, and in the highest state of culture; and by 

 this means they continue to us not only what are 

 called species, but varieties also, little changed 

 from the plants from which the seeds were 

 taken ; and by this means only can we continue 

 annual and biennial plants, as well as many of 

 greater longevity, although we cannot depend 

 on this mode in all cases with the same degree 

 of certainty that we can on the various modes 

 of propagating by extension — namely, by cut- 

 tings, division of the plant, grafting, budding, 

 &c. 



However much the systematic botanist may 

 be discomposed by the production of hybrids, 

 or of cross-bred plants, the florist, pomologist, 

 and gardener have much cause to rejoice ; for by 

 this process they all have gained a triumph over 

 nature, which, according to her greatest advo- 

 cates, she could hardly have effected herself. 

 The happy results of the late Mr Knight, in the 

 production of some of our very finest fruits, and 

 of our best pease, and other culinary vegetables, 

 is of itself sufficient proof of the great utility of 

 the process. We are told by botanists that 

 hybrids are fertile only to the third or fourth 

 generation. How can this doctrine be recon- 

 ciled with the case of Knight's marrowfat pea, 

 which has continued to reproduce itself over the 

 whole kingdom for upwards of thirty genera- 

 tions, and is likely to continue as long ? For 

 the interesting experiments of Mr Knight, vide 

 the " Philosophical Transactions from 1789 to 

 1820," and various papers in "Horticultural 

 Society's Transactions, first series," &c. 



" The power of hybridising," Dr Lindley re- 

 marks, " appears to be far more common in 

 plants than in animals. There is scarcely a 

 genus of domesticated plants in which this effect 

 cannot be produced by the assistance of man. 



It is, however, in general, only between nearly 

 allied species that this intercourse can take 

 place, those which are widely different in struc- 

 ture and constitution not being capable of any 

 artificial union. The cause of the sterility of 

 mule plants is at present unknown. Sometimes, 

 indeed, a deficiency of pollen may be assigned ; 

 but in many cases there is no perceptible dif- 

 ference in the healthiness of the structure of 

 the fertilising organs of a mule plant and of its 

 parents." Even the very comprehensive ana- 

 tomical observations of Professor Henslow have 

 thrown no light upon the subject, for he could 

 detect no appreciable difference between the 

 condition of the stamens and pistil of the hybrid 

 or its parents. Amongst the instances of fertile 

 hybrids found wild in nature, Dr Lindley states 

 the following as remarkable cases : " The Cistus 

 ledon constantly produced between C. monspeli- 

 ensis and laurifolius, and Cistus longifolius be- 

 tween C. monspeliensis and populifolius," ob- 

 served by Mr Bentham in a wood near Narbonne. 

 " The same acute botanist ascertained that Saxi- 

 fraga luteo purpurea of Lap., and S. ambigua of 

 Decandolle, are only wild accidental hybrids be- 

 tween S. aretioides and culyciflora. Gentianas, 

 having a similar origin, have also been remarked 

 upon the mountains of Europe. It is difficult 

 not to believe that a great number of the re- 

 puted species of Salix, Rosa, Rubus, Aquilegia, 

 and other intricate genera, have also had a hybrid 

 origin." 



It has been stated above, as the opinion of 

 some, that hybrid varieties cease to reproduce 

 themselves after the third or fourth generation. 

 We have already instanced Knight's marrowfat 

 pea, &c, as an exception to this rule ; and on 

 looking over some old seed-lists — that of Gordon, 

 for example, one of the earliest seedsmen esta- 

 blished in Edinburgh — we find in his " Dic- 

 tionary," published in 1774, the names of many 

 of our kitchen-garden seeds identical with those 

 of seed-lists of 1852 : that any change for the 

 worse has taken place in them, we have no right 

 to suppose. True species, in the strict sense of 

 the word, they cannot be ; hybrids, therefore, 

 they must be. The same may be said of our 

 cereal plants, some of which have, no doubt, 

 existed for centuries. It appears, therefore, 

 pretty clear that hybrids may continue in a fer- 

 tile state for ages, without much, if any, deteri- 

 oration. Had hybrids in a state of nature been 

 as long and as closely watched, it is probable 

 that our list of recognised individuals would be 

 much larger than it is at present. The follow- 

 ing explanation of the law which governs this 

 case is given by Dr Lindley : "It is a general 

 law of nature that seeds will perpetuate a 

 species, but not a variety ; and this is no doubt 

 true, if rightly considered : and yet it may be 

 urged, if this be so, how have the varieties, well 

 known to gardeners and agriculturists] for many 

 years, been unceasingly carried on from genera- 

 tion to generation without change ? The long 

 red and round white radishes of the markets, 

 for instance, have been known from time im- 

 memorial in the same state in which they now 

 exist. The answer is thus : A species will per- 

 petuate itself from seed for ever under any cir- 



