THE 



POPULAR SCIENCE 



MONTHLY 



OCTOBER, 1911 

 GENETICS 1 



By W. BATESON, M.A., F.R.S. 



rp HE invitation to preside over the agricultural sub-section on this 

 J- occasion naturally gave me great pleasure, but after accepting it 

 I have felt embarrassment in a considerable degree. The motto of the 

 great society which has been responsible for so much progress in agri- 

 cultural affairs in this country very clearly expresses the subject of our 

 deliberations in the words " Practise with Science/' and to be compe- 

 tent to address you, a man should be well conversant with both. But 

 even if agriculture is allowed to include horticulture, as may perhaps 

 be generally conceded, I am sadly conscious that my special qualifica- 

 tions are much weaker than you have a right to demand of a president. 



The aspects of agriculture from which it offers hopeful lines for 

 scientific attack are, in the main, three: Physiological, pathological 

 and genetic. All are closely interrelated, and for successful dealing 

 with the problems of any one of these departments of research, knowl- 

 edge of the results attained in the others is now almost indispensable. 

 I myself can claim personal acquaintance with the third or genetic 

 group alone, and therefore in considering how science is to be applied 

 to the practical operations of agriculture, I must necessarily choose it 

 as the more special subject of this address. I know very well that 

 wider experience of those other branches of agricultural science or 

 practical agriculture would give to my remarks a weight to which they 

 can not now pretend. 



Before, however, proceeding to these topics of special consideration, 

 I have thought it not unfitting to say something of a more general na- 

 ture as to the scope of an applied science, such as that to which we 

 here are devoted. We are witnessing a very remarkable outburst of 

 activity in the promotion of science in its application to agriculture. 



1 Address to the Agricultural Sub-section of the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science. 

 vol. lxxix. — 22. 



