﻿520 
  Mutations 
  

  

  measure 
  as 
  to 
  give 
  distinct 
  indications. 
  All 
  have 
  

   to 
  be 
  given 
  a 
  trial 
  in 
  the 
  garden 
  under 
  conditions 
  

   as 
  similar 
  as 
  possible 
  to 
  their 
  natural 
  environ- 
  

   ments. 
  Cultivated 
  plants 
  are 
  of 
  course 
  to 
  be 
  

   excluded. 
  Practically 
  they 
  have 
  already 
  under- 
  

   gone 
  the 
  experience 
  in 
  question 
  and 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  

   expected 
  to 
  change 
  their 
  habits 
  soon 
  enough. 
  

   Moreover 
  they 
  are 
  often 
  of 
  hybrid 
  origin. 
  The 
  

   best 
  way 
  is 
  to 
  experiment 
  with 
  the 
  native 
  plants 
  

   of 
  one's 
  own 
  country. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  made 
  such 
  experiments 
  with 
  some 
  hun- 
  

   dred 
  species 
  that 
  grow 
  wild 
  in 
  Holland. 
  Some 
  

   were 
  very 
  variable, 
  as 
  for 
  instance, 
  the 
  jointed 
  

   charlock 
  (Raphanus 
  Raplianistrum) 
  and 
  the 
  

   narrow-leaved 
  plantain 
  (Plantago 
  lanceolata). 
  

   Others 
  seemed 
  more 
  uniform, 
  but 
  many 
  species, 
  

   collected 
  without 
  showing 
  any 
  malformation, 
  

   subsequently 
  produced 
  them 
  in 
  my 
  garden, 
  

   either 
  on 
  the 
  introduced 
  plants 
  themselves 
  or 
  

   among 
  their 
  offspring. 
  From 
  this 
  initial 
  ma- 
  

   terial 
  I 
  have 
  procured 
  a 
  long 
  series 
  of 
  heredi- 
  

   tary 
  races, 
  each 
  with 
  some 
  peculiar 
  anomaly 
  for 
  

   its 
  special 
  character. 
  But 
  this 
  result 
  was 
  only 
  

   a 
  secondary 
  gain, 
  a 
  meager 
  consolation 
  for 
  the 
  

   negative 
  fact 
  that 
  no 
  real 
  mutability 
  could 
  be 
  

   discovered. 
  

  

  My 
  plants 
  were 
  mostly 
  annuals 
  or 
  biennials, 
  

   or 
  such 
  perennials 
  as 
  under 
  adequate 
  treatment 
  

   might 
  produce 
  flowers 
  and 
  seeds 
  during 
  their 
  

  

  