The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-06-04

ables that these same principles are de-
composed, elaborated, and finally acquire
forms and properties widely different
from. each other.
Now, can we suppose, without wound
ing the principles of sound philosophy,
that this passive material, which is de-
signed only to receive notifications from
the different agents by which it is elab-
grated and used-that this can react
upon those organs or agents and change
their existence, work so marvellous
that Nature only can perform it.
1t has been held that the multiplicity
of petals, which form double flowers,
and the certain lustiness OF some varie-
ties, are due to a superabundance of
nutrition. But this formation of petals
is not the simple development of prin-
ciple pre-existing in the flower. 1t is a
real change of the male and female parts
into corollas; and the Insurance of
these beautiful varieties bears III the leaf
and in the fruits new forms, which dis
tinguish them from others and constitute
them distinct races.
Nature has fixed for all races maxi
mum and minimum of development
WHICH, llO NdNloC SUI pass w llCil d
plant has little nutriment it becomes
before departing from the characteristics
of its species. Ii we'll nourished it at
tains the maximum of it's growth, but if
engorged it refuses the superabundance,
or, if forced to absorb, it is injured; its
canals are blocked up, its organs affected,
its vital functions changed, and it per-
iSbnC Tho foofS wa DOSSnSS in har-
mony with these principles. We find
double flowers only in species which are
multiplied by seed. Those propagated
by slips or the graft never present this
phenomena. We never find it in the
Jasmine, then hortensia, nor in any OF
those eXotics which in our climate yield
no seed. But they are certainly cultiva
ted with as much care as roses, hya-
cinths, or carnations; but they never
present the caprices of these beautiful
varieties which reappear every day in
our gardens under new forms and with
mixture of the most CD a;,ts 4
,9tlff more ffiissrv m egard 20
steffIity of plants, which they have
attributed to the mode OF propagation by
slips or by layers. All these opinions
result only from erroneous reasoning.
We have already seen that-haying
observed that plots of ground were COW
cred with choice varieties while the
woods were full only of wild ones-it
was inferred that it was culture which
had changed the savage varieties to fine
ones, so that these last are now called
domesticated varieties. In this case Of
the sterile plants-having observed that
they were multiplied only by the slip and
the layer, it has been inferred that 1t was
the mode OF propagation which effected
in the plant subjected to this operation
for several generations, the insensibly
gradual loss of it's stamens and pistils,
and finally produced sterility. Here it
is easy to see the effect has been taken for
the cause. These plants have been con-
sidered sterile because propagated by
the cuttings, whereas the contrary is
true, and they are propagated by the cut
tings because they are themselves ster-
ile otherwise it would follow that all
plants multiplied by the slip would be
sterile, which is not the case. Examples
might be given in abundance, OF plants
| bearing fertile seeds, which have long
been multiplied by the cuttings, as the
olive and the grape; and great number
of superior varieties are produced by the
slip only to keep them from degenerating.
But the most conclusive proof of the
futility of this belief is the fact that these
plants of sterile flowers all have their
type, which is not sterile, and whose
seeds have probably given the sterile va
riety which has been multiplied by cut
tings. Indeed, we sometimes find this
variety in the woods, where nature GER
tainly used no grating knife, as for
instance, in the sterile SNOWFALL (Uibur-
mum opulus sterils) beside the Uiburnum
Opulus or SNOWFALL of fruitful flower.
shall not occupy any time in discus
sion upon the influence of infusion of
sugary substances and other similar
processes by which all the ancient wri-
| ters pretend to change the taste and
color of fruits; all these notions are
now relegated to the books ON agriculture
of the seventeenth century, and there is
no cultivator, however little enlightened,
who is not convinced of their useless
| ness.
Besides, these errors cannot but disap-
pear from the moment that we are con-
vinced that nutrition (by which means
the cultivation of the soil acts upon
plants or trees,) influences only their
simple developments, but that forms,
colors, properties, can only be changed
by the seed.
Such is the march of nature in all the
chain of organized beings. Generations
vary infinitely, but individuals never
| change. The negro and the white man
give rise to numerous mulattoes, but
] the negro transported to the eternal