EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION AMONGST PLANTS. 87 



the presence of missing links or breaks in the chain of life, which 

 shows that those forms which are weakest, or least adapted to live, 

 have dropped out and have left the others to strengthen them- 

 selves ; and, fifth, the fact that there is a perfect adaptation of all 

 organisms to their environments or conditions of life. 



The doctrine of evolution is old, although it was not until the 

 ■opening of the present century that it began to take on specific 

 and technical form. It was taught more or less vaguely by the 

 Greeks, and, later, by the Arabs. Perhaps it may be said that 

 two chief epochs in the history of the unfolding of the doctrine are 

 those represented by Copernicus and Darwin. Copernicus dis- 

 proved the old geocentric doctrine, or the notion that the earth is 

 the center of the universe ; Darwin disproved the homocentric 

 doctrine, or the notion that man is the central object of nature. 

 We now conceive of the universe as a whole, undergoing a general 

 progressive or onward movement in which all its parts are 

 intimately concerned. 



After these introductory remarks. Professor Bailey delivered his 

 lecture as follows : 



De Varigny has written a most suggestive book upon Experi- 

 mental Evolution, in which he contends for the establishment of 

 an institution where experiments can be definitely undertaken for 

 the purpose of transforming a species into a new species. " In 

 experimental transformism," he writes, " lies the only test which 

 we can apply to the evolutionary theory. We must use all the 

 methods we are acquainted with, and also those, yet unknown, 

 which cannot fail to disclose themselves when we begin a thorough 

 investigation of the matter, and do our utmost to bring about the 

 transmutation of any species. We do not specially desire to 

 transform any one species into another known at present ; we wish 

 to transform it into a new species. * * * Experimental trans- 

 formism is what we need now, and therein lies the only method we 

 can use." 



This is a most commendable object, and I hope that the 

 attempt will be made to create a new species before our very eyes. 

 This is what most people demand, as a proof of evolution, and 

 they are sometimes impatient that it has not been done ; and it 

 would seem, upon the face of it, that nothing more could be desired. 

 When I reflect, however, upon the fact that this very thing 

 has occurred time and again with the horticulturist, and then 



