The Evolution of Botany. 197 



MB. JAMES A. SKILTON : 



Mr. Wulling has made it evident to us, in his thorough but con- 

 densed review, that the historic development of botany as a science has 

 gone on coincidently with historic evolution in society and with all 

 human progress during the last three hundred years. It is an impor- 

 tant lesson for us also to learn that the evolution of botany has been co- 

 ordinate as well as coincident with evolution and progress. Then the 

 question follows : What will be the future history of botany, its evo- 

 lution, and its co-ordinations? Prof. Mason, of the National Museum 

 at Washington, has recently called attention to the fact that, as a re- 

 sult of our method of treatment, plant-life in the United States has 

 declined in vitality and capacity for production, and that we have as a 

 result a coincident and co-ordinate tendency toward barbaric condi- 

 tions of individual and societary life. It is by no means a new thought 

 that plant-life and its conditions have important relations to and with 

 the moral status and general conditions of humanity. When Adam 

 and Eve were driven from Eden the ground also was cursed, and it 

 was said of it : " Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee." 

 Now, botanical science teaches us that " thorns " and " thistles " are the 

 product of arrested development ; and evolution, as well as " revelation," 

 teaches us that human life and plant-life are so related in their to- 

 tality that they prosper or fail to prosper together. And certainly 

 no one who has seen and studied an " old field " cotton plantation 

 can fail to realize that land can be " cursed " by some one God or 

 man. 



A United States senator, discussing years ago a question concern- 

 ing the introduction of free institutions into the West Indies, said, 

 " Beware of the tropics." So long as we can not manage the plant- 

 life of the temperate zone without drifting into barbaric conditions or 

 tendencies, the legend is doubtless a wise one. But if the human 

 race is to realize in fact the high development which evolution already 

 foretells as possible, it will need to learn how to utilize all that the 

 enormous and various plant capacity and production of the tropics, as 

 well as of the other zones, is preparing and keeping in store for it. 



From this point of view it must be evident that, great as has been 

 development of the past, a compendium of which we have had pre- 

 sented to us to-night, the evolution of this science and of its cognate 

 sciences can hardly be said to have yet begun. 



DR. LEWIS G-. JANES: 



I am glad that the lecturer has called attention to the fact that it is 

 impossible for investigators to become eminent in any department of 



