RIVALRY OF PLANTS 161 



which they surround themselves, just as surely 

 as they change ambitions, mold religions and 

 adapt clothing to their conditions; just so surely 

 do they influence and change the characteristics 

 of the plants in whose environment they live. 



When I say that man is the most important 

 element in the environment of plants, I do not 

 mean those few men who devoted their lives to 

 the improvement of plants. I do not mean the 

 botanist, the horticulturist, the florist, the seeds- 

 man, the nurseryman, the agricultural experi- 

 mentalist. I mean man in the mass man busy 

 with his dry goods store, or his steel company, 

 occupied with his law, or his medicine, weary 

 from his daily blacksmithing, or his carpenter- 

 ing. I mean just man, the neighbor of plants, 

 whether he be their friend or their enemy who- 

 ever he may be. 



It was the Indian who gave us, here in Amer- 

 ica, the most important crop we have. 



It was the primitive races in America who 

 adopted one of the wild grasses and finally pro- 

 duced our maize ; which, however, when America 

 was discovered, was primitive in comparison to 

 the wonderful varieties which have since been 

 developed. 



Or, to turn about, it was the desire of the 

 Indian for a food plant like this that led the 



Vol. 1 Bur. F 



