150 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



enoiig^h. the blackberry seeds which came from the cross pro- 

 duced the apple tree growth." We certainly echo that "strange- 

 ly enough." Burbank is said to have "disproved the Mendelian 

 laws" overthrown the Mutation Theorv and settled the whole 

 question of the inheritance of ac(|uired characteristics. "What 

 occupation" he is ([uotcd as saying, "can be more delightful 

 than adopting the most promising individual from among a 

 race of vile, neglected, orphan weeds with settled hoodlum 

 tendencies, down-trodden and despised by all, and graduallv 

 lifting it by breeding and education to a higher sphere; to see 

 it gradually change its sprawling habits, its coarse ill-smelling 

 foliage and its insignificant blossoms of dull color, to an up- 

 right plant with handsome glossy, fragrant leaves, blossoms 

 of every hue and with fragrance as pure and lasting as could 

 be desired ;" at which we sigh "Ah ! what indeed !" There seems 

 to be no disposition among scientists to belittle Hurbank's work, 

 lie is a man of rare ability and has achieved manv remarkable 

 successes in plant breeding, but this is no warrant for his 

 deification l)y those unfamiliar with plant life nor an excuse 

 for the careless handling of facts by entertaining writers. 

 The harm that much of tlic so-called "])opular" literature has 

 done to science can scarceh' l)e estimated. Nearl\- e\er\-thing 

 tliat the general public knows about ])laiits is not so. l)ecause 

 it has oI)taine(l its "knowledge" from just such fair\- stories. 

 The l)(i(,k under discussion has many fine illustrations that 

 show clearly some of the improvements made in plants, atul 

 mingled with the nonsense is a large number of important 

 facts, but readers are cautioned in look out for pitfalls. The 

 book is published b\- Charles Scribner's Sons, New "^'ork. 



