78 COTTON 



hand down to the future race all the life of the past. 

 Like surely begets like. Offspring of either plant 

 or animal inherit the essential characteristics that 

 were a vital part of the parental stock. These 

 inherited characteristics, however, are always sub- 

 ject to change as a result of change in environment. 



If any plant or animal were confined to a par- 

 ticular soil, feeding on the same food, and with un- 

 varying climatic conditions, then all members of 

 the tribe or species would grow more and more 

 similar in type, form, and quality. Only in non- 

 essentials would differences appear. 



The American deer, for example, grown under 

 the same conditions of habit, food and climate, for 

 so long a time, has developed the most remarkable 

 uniformity. Only the most careful observer is 

 able to note individual peculiarities of form, color, 

 or outline. 



Let the American breeder take this same animal 

 and place it under a new environment, and a change 

 will be noticed very early in his breeding operations. 

 This change of environment gives the law known 

 as variation an opportunity to show its power and 

 influence. 



The cotton plant has been subjected to this 

 change in environment. We can neither tell you 

 when nor how it happened. Mere conjecture 

 would suggest only a starting point. Still the fact 

 remains that cotton was early known in India, 

 Egypt, Corea, China, South America, and the 

 Lesser Antilles. How the plant got to any of these 

 countries no one knows, and possibly no one will 

 ever know. The important fact is this : there are 

 great differences in soil, climate, and environment 

 between China and South America, between India 

 and the South Sea Islands, between Egypt and 



