﻿688 
  Mutations 
  

  

  ods 
  for 
  bringing 
  additional 
  instances 
  to 
  light. 
  

   These 
  methods 
  may 
  direct 
  effort 
  toward 
  two 
  dif- 
  

   ferent 
  modes 
  of 
  investigation. 
  We 
  may 
  search 
  

   for 
  mutable 
  plants 
  in 
  nature, 
  or 
  we 
  may 
  hope 
  

   to 
  induce 
  species 
  to 
  become 
  mutable 
  by 
  artificial 
  

   methods. 
  The 
  first 
  promises 
  to 
  yield 
  results 
  

   most 
  quickly, 
  but 
  the 
  scope 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  is 
  

   much 
  greater 
  and 
  it 
  may 
  yield 
  results 
  of 
  far 
  

   more 
  importance. 
  Indeed, 
  if 
  it 
  should 
  once 
  be- 
  

   come 
  possible 
  to 
  bring 
  plants 
  to 
  mutate 
  at 
  our 
  

   will 
  and 
  perhaps 
  even 
  in 
  arbitrarily 
  chosen 
  di- 
  

   rections, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  limit 
  to 
  the 
  power 
  we 
  may 
  

   finally 
  hope 
  to 
  gain 
  over 
  nature. 
  

  

  What 
  is 
  to 
  guide 
  us 
  in 
  this 
  new 
  line 
  of 
  work? 
  

   Is 
  it 
  the 
  minute 
  inspection 
  of 
  the 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  

   process 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  evening-primroses! 
  

   Or 
  are 
  we 
  to 
  base 
  our 
  hopes 
  and 
  our 
  methods 
  on 
  

   broader 
  conceptions 
  of 
  nature's 
  laws! 
  Is 
  it 
  the 
  

   systematic 
  study 
  of 
  species 
  and 
  varieties, 
  and 
  

   the 
  biologic 
  inquiry 
  into 
  their 
  real 
  hereditary 
  

   units! 
  Or 
  is 
  the 
  theory 
  of 
  descent 
  to 
  be 
  our 
  

   starting-point 
  ! 
  Are 
  we 
  to 
  rest 
  our 
  conceptions 
  

   on 
  the 
  experience 
  of 
  the 
  breeder, 
  or 
  is 
  perhaps 
  

   the 
  geologic 
  pedigree 
  of 
  all 
  organic 
  life 
  to 
  open 
  

   to 
  us 
  better 
  prospects 
  of 
  success! 
  

  

  The 
  answer 
  to 
  all 
  such 
  questions 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  

   simple 
  one. 
  All 
  possibilities 
  must 
  be 
  considered, 
  

   and 
  no 
  line 
  of 
  investigation 
  ignored. 
  For 
  my- 
  

   self 
  I 
  have 
  based 
  my 
  field-researches 
  and 
  my 
  

  

  