WAGES 13 



from the fact that the store of food materials present 

 for it to work upon — the matter and the energy — is 

 more than it uses ; while the possibility of causing the 

 plant to give a greater 5aeld arises from the instability 

 of all growths and their liability to vary. Among the 

 variations which can occur in plants is a superiority 

 in those parts used as food. When therefore the 

 cultivator chooses for propagation those plants which 

 show a greater product his efforts result in a larger 

 harvest. 



It becomes thus possible to improve the plant as 

 a worker for man and to enable a human being with 

 the same output of his labour to obtain a larger manu- 

 facture of food. The business of evolving plants capable 

 of more work is to-day actively pursued ; chance 

 favourable variations are selected for breeding, and 

 variation itself is artificially stimulated. There seems 

 to be no finality to the improvement of the yields of 

 plants, and owing to this fact is due the belief that 

 men have it in their own hands, for the future, largely 

 to increase the product of their labour. 



The efficiency of the plant is susceptible of increase 

 also in other directions. Certain influences diminish 

 the yield of vegetable growth ; and by enabling it to 

 withstand them the maximum amount of result may 

 be obtained from it. Undue variations of humidity, 

 temperature, sunlight and wind are such influences, 

 and disease also is a cause of loss. But plants can be 

 bred to withstand untoward conditions and capable 

 therefore always of giving their maximum yield. An 

 important department of science is devoted to the 

 improvement of plants in this respect, and expects 

 confidently to breed growths capable of withstanding 

 almost any adverse conditions. 



Further, the varieties of plants are continually 

 being added to. The types of the plant-world are 

 almost inexhaustible, and their uses for human purposes 



