532 



Thk Journal of Hhrkditv 



simplicity, been studiously ijijnored. 

 This, the fifth chimera secured 1)\- Wink- 

 ler, and called by him, Solaniim darwin- 

 ianiim, is in a dilTerent class from its 

 predecessors. It a]>i)ears to be a real 

 graft-hybrid: indeed, it claims to be the 

 only {genuine, out-and-out j^^raft -hybrid 

 in the world. 



In order to make this claim, it will be 

 understood from what was just said 

 that the chimera must show evidence of 

 actual vegetative cell-fusion. It will 

 not do to have the parents living side 

 by side, as in a sectorial chimera, or 

 even one enveloping the other, as in the 

 ix'riclinal chimera. They must actually 

 unite, not only in body but ])articularly 

 in germ-jjlasm. In Solanum darwin- 

 ianuni the tomato and nightshade seem 

 at last to have reached that stage of 

 union. 



A count of the chromosomes shows 

 their number to be 48. The evidence, 

 therefore, indicates on its face that 

 the cells (or at least some of the cells) of 

 the two jjarents have here actually com- 

 bined, each previoush' throwing out 



half of its chromosomes, as in normal 

 sexual cell-conjugation. Just how this 

 may have taken place is not yet entirely 

 explicable, but if it has happened, 

 Solanum dartvinianum will have a strong 

 claim to be considered a real graft- 

 hyl^rid, the first one ever known. 



To the old botanists, the existence of 

 suj^ijosed graft-h\'brids seems at times 

 to have been rather resented — they inter- 

 fered so much with theories about 

 heredity! Fortunately we have passed 

 that stage. "It is not too soon to say," 

 as Goldschmidt" concludes, "that the 

 idea that ])roduction of hybrids by 

 \'egetative propagation would u]3set all 

 our fundamental ideas of the laws of 

 heredity is to be considered absolutely 

 groundless." There are still some 

 problems to be solved, but we are not 

 afraid that chimeras will com]olicate 

 them. "On the contrary, the periclinal 

 chimeras, and still more the sectorial 

 chimeras, have introduced some ex- 

 traordinarily important ideas in the 

 solution of all kinds of genetic, mor- 

 phological and ])hysiological problems." 



•Goldschmidt, 

 Berlin. 1913. 



Rithard. Einfuhrung in die Vererbungswisscnschaft, p. 400. Leipzig und 



Essentials of a Free Society 



Our present natural dispositions make it imjjossible for us to attain the ideal 

 standard of a nation of men all judging soberly for themselves, and therefore the 

 slavishness of the mass of our countrymen, in morals and intellect, must be an 

 admitted fact in all schemes of regenerative jjolicy. 



The hereditary taint due to the primeval barbarism of our race, and maintained 

 by later influences, will have to be bred out of it before our descendants can rise 

 to the position of free members of an intelligent society; and I may add that the 

 most likely nest at the present time, for self-reliant natures, is to be found in 

 states founded and maintained bv emigrants.- — Francis Galton : Inquiries into Hu- 

 man Faculty (1907). 



Photographs of Large Trees Wanted 



In order to secure data (jf value to forestry, two members of the American Ge- 

 netic Association have offered SI 00 each, for jjrizes to be awarded by this associa- 

 tion for photographs of the largest native trees. Contestants are required to send 

 in two photograjjhs of each tree, one showing the entire tree and the other only 

 the trunk. A jjrize of SlOO will be given for the largest nut-bearing tree and an- 

 other ])rize of the same size for the largest forest or shade tree, non-nut-bearing. 

 The competition is not limited tt) meml)ers of this association, but ])hotographs 

 must be taken by or under the direction of the eomi^etitor. Conifers will not be 

 considered. As much infonnation as ])os.sible must be furnished about the tree 

 which is photograi)hed. Details regarding the contest were i^ublished in the 

 jorRNAL OF Hf:ri:uity for October. 1914 (Vol. V, No. 10), or may be secured by 

 addressing the editor of the Joi'RNAl. 



