GROWTH AND SEXUAL GENESIS, 437 



0118 evidence which the smaller types present. A few cases 

 such as gardens supph' will serve. All know that a Pear- 

 tree continues to increase in size for j^ears before it begins to 

 bear ; and that, producing but few pears at first, it is long 

 before it fruits abundantly. A young Mulberry, branch- 

 ing out luxuriantly^ season after season, but covered 

 \< ith nothing but leaves, at length blossoms sparingly-, and 

 sets some small and imperfect berries, which it drops while 

 they are green ; and it makes these futile attempts time after 

 time before it succeeds in ripening any seeds. But these 

 multi-axial plants, or aggregates of individuals some of 

 wdiich continue to grow while others become arrested and 

 transformed into seed-bearers, show us the relation less de- 

 finitely than certain plants that are substantially, if not 

 literall}^, uni-axial. Of these the Cocoa-nut may be in- 

 stanced. For some years it goes on shooting up without 

 making any sign of becoming fertile. About the sixth year 

 it flowers ; but the flowers wither without result. In the 

 seventh j^ear it flowers and produces a few nuts ; but these 

 prove abortive and drop. In the eighth year it ripens a 

 moderate number of nuts ; and afterwards increases the 

 number until, in the tenth year, it comes into full bearing. 

 JMeanwhile, from the time of its first flowering its growth 

 begins to diminish, and goes on diminishing till the tenth 

 year, when it ceases. Here we see the antagonism between 

 growth and sexual genesis under both its aspects — see a 

 struggle between self- evolution and race- evolution, in which 

 the first for a time overcomes the last, and the last ultimately 

 overcomes the first. The continued aggrandisement of the 

 parent-individual makes abortive for two seasons the tendency 

 to produce new individuals ; and the tendency to produce 

 new individuals, becoming more decided, stops any further 

 aggrandisement of the parent-individual. 



Parallel illustrations occur in the animal kingdom. The 

 eggs laid by a pullet are relatively small and few. Similarly, 

 it is alleged that, as a general rule, " a bitch has fewer 



