of similar character ; the difference will he seen 
rather to emanate from the facilities afforded the 
Hawthorn, which have not been given to many 
others, to exhibit the variable forms under which, 
through their seedlings, they can appear. The 
Hawthorn derives its advantage from the millions 
of seedlings produced for our hedges. 
Every one well knows that propagation by cut- 
tings, offsets, grafts, buds, and such like, is but an 
extension of the very plant from which these 
portions are taken, and that it is from seeds alone 
that variation can be obtained. Such divided parts, it 
is true, become new individuals, but, it may be said, 
without new blood in their veins. Placed under 
favourable circumstances for growth, they live and 
flourish ; but it still is with the inheritance of all 
the natural diseases and tendencies of the parent 
from which they were divided. With a plant raised 
from seed it is not so. The Divine Author of all 
these beautiful works has here bestowed on us a 
modicum of his own creative power, and also in- 
tellect to guide our use of it. Just as if he had 
said “ ‘Behold I have given you every herb bearing 
seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every 
tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree, yielding 
seed,’ sow them, and I will give them increase, and 
advance them.” We do so, and become instru- 
ments in his hand, to improve that of which he has 
given us the originals. Still the Creator of life re- 
serves to himself the discretion of giving golden 
fruit to this plant, and rubies to that, or snowy 
flowers to one, and rosy flowers to another. His 
power is ever before us. 
