The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-09-06
HOUSE AND FARM.
Ouriosaties Of seedlings.

In growing plants from seeds, persons
not very wen acquainted with Natures
ways are surprised that the result Of the
termination Of the seed is not like tbs
plant that produced the seed, and have
greatly wondered why it was that the
seed from their beautiful big strawberry,
plum. peach or whatever plant it might
be, produced plant which grew poor,
sour strawberries, or little, stony, hard
plums or peaches.
The reason for this is very plain to
those that have improved their time by
studying botany and acquainting them.
selves with the mysteries of the vego-
table .ingdom.
In all nature, both in the animal and
vegetable kingdoms, it is considered .
fixed law of nature that like produces
like" but this is not always so in one
sense of the word. If we plant the seed
OF Skunk's Cabbage, We will find that
It always produces plant exactly like
it's parent; ourinative grass seeds produce
grass like the parent, and all lof our forest
trees produce their seed just like the
parent stock, proving every time that
like produces like" But again, If we
plant the seeds from Sharpless straw
berry or some other cultivated variety,
We will find that 100 seeds of the Sharp
less or some other kind may produce 100
plants, all of different kind ito more
or less degree, while in case Of the wild
strawberry, the plants grown from its
seed are always like the parent.
Naturally the question Is asked. Why
is this7 Why should not the seed of the
cultivated plant produce plants like the
p&rent, the same as the wild one does?
The reason why is simply this: the
one is in an unnatural state, the other iii
q natural state; one has never been
changed from the condition in which Da-
ture first placed it; the other has been so
changed by man that it greatly differs
from the one III it's natural condition.
The wild strawberries now growing on
the hillsides are of the same species as
their parents were 100 years
ego. and present every appearance
that their ancestors did. But with
our garden strawberries this is very diff
ferent. BY crossing the male organs of
one species of wild strawberry with the
female organs of another species cross
or hybrid is formed that ia unlike either
of the other plants. With cultivation
and much attention paid to its growth
nnu pIO&Ic6o, Cul0 pIaut may pTOuuC0 Il
berry much superior to either ofits par
ents. But if we plant the seeds of this
new berry we will find that the plants
growing from them will be unlike the
parent plant, and will in all probability
tend to run backward toward the original
stock. But perhaps out of rs seed
planted from this one berry, one plant
may. by high cultivation, produce supe.
rior plants to the parent. And thus
it is by continual crossing and re-
crossing we get new varie.
ties, some better and some worse than
the parent stock. With neglect and
lack Of care those changed forms that
have been modified by man will run
back to the condition of the original an
cestors.
This holds true all through the vepe.
table kingdom. The apples we so much
enjoy, originally sprung from the little,
wiZzled'up crab-apples that grew in
most parts of Europe. Our peaches,
cherries and pears, great luscious fruits
though they are, all came originally
from stock that the nurseryman of to-
day would not give growing space upon
bis ground; came from plants that
were worthless for all practical pur-
poses.-Rural New Yorker.