45 



manifesting it as a "rogue" if the change is undesirable, or takes care of it for 

 further trial if the variation holds out promise of novelty or improvement. AVhere 

 the flowers lend themselves readily to cross-fertilization by means of insects, it is 

 essential, in order to maintain the purity of the offspring, to grow, the several 

 varieties at a very wide distance apart. Some apparently slight variations, which, 

 even to the trained botanist, are hardly noticeable, may be of great value commer- 

 cially—as, for instance, of two apparently almost identical varieties of wheat, one 

 may be much better able to resist mildew and diseases generally than another ; 

 some again prove to be better adapted to certain soils, or for some climates, 

 than others; some are less liable to injury from predatory birds, and so on. 

 So far we have been alluding to variations in the plant as grown from the seed, 

 but similar changes are observable in the ordinary buds, and gardeners- are not 

 slow to take advantage of these variations. The field is one of great scientific as 

 well as commercial interest, and a thoroughly equipped biologist would probably 

 soon distance the ordinary gardener who works by rule of hand in producing and 

 perpetuating valuable variations."^ 



This audience will carry the thought of opportunity into other lines of scien- 

 tific work without additional detail. The zoologists are hard at work, under care- 

 ful organization, and will at this meeting show something of the scope of their 

 work, with the results already reached. The engineers, with all their energies, 

 have as yet been unable to fully occupy their territories, so manifold are their 

 fields for investigation. 



All that I have suggested involves no neglect of pure science. Neither d.oes 

 it necessarily involve the abandoning of work which, with our present knowl- 

 edge, seems purely theoretical. It does not suggest the introduction of the 

 mercenary or utilitarian idea into scientific work. It is only an intimation of 

 how, by a judicious and well-ordered treatment of what may be called the by- 

 products of our activity much good may be accomplished for science, much for 

 the State. As the manufacturer often finds that the careful utilization of the 

 by-products conditions success, so the scientist may find that his success depends 

 upon his contributions to the general good. Every truth will, of course, at some 

 time take its appointed place and be assigned its true value; but many truths of 

 science as yet stand isolated — unrelated, marvelous products, often, of skill and 

 patience) but, until they find their true place, of little general interest. Through 

 facts such as these scientist may appeal to scientist, but it is through simpler facts 

 of readier application that science appeals to the State. 



' Pop. Soi. .Mo:.thly, Oct., 1896, pp. 859-860. 



