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. P 



