PLAXXIXG A XEW PLANT 189 



herent qualities, but the chemical substances from 

 which animals and plants are formed are so 

 numerous and in such diverse combinations that 

 their behavior is vastly more complicated and un- 

 certain. 



The structures which we call plants and ani- 

 mals make use of the chemical combining and 

 separating forces of nearly every substance so 

 far discovered in the universe. 



Nature has been carrying on selective world- 

 wide breeding of plants and animals on a con- 

 stantly widening scale for millions of years; but 

 nature does not care for sweet corn, melons, Bart- 

 lett pears; luscious, juicy, fragrant peaches; 

 large, early, sweet cherries; thin-skimied, seed- 

 less, juicy oranges ; large grapes of many seasons, 

 colors, and flavors ; pineapples with their delight- 

 ful aroma; prunes with sugar content sufficient 

 to preserve them while drying; large, crisp cab- 

 bages; head lettuce; "Quality" asparagus; self- 

 blanching celery; double roses; varicolored car- 

 nations; cactus dahlias or wonderfully colored 

 gladioli ; cannas and lilacs with new perfumes and 

 a beautiful varied range of splendid color effects, 

 or the farmers' crops of varied grains and pota- 

 toes which now are, in most cases at least, a hun- 

 dred times as productive and of almost infinitely 

 improved qualities. 



