SHORT CUTS INTO THE CEN- 

 TURIES TO COME 



Better Plants Secured By Selective 

 Evolution 



**^ ^ TITH the bees buzzing about in the 



\ V thousands of blossoms on your experi- 

 ment farm," said a visitor, "I should 

 think that the plants would get all mixed up; I 

 should think that the daisies would be crossed 

 with carnations, and the carnations with balloon 

 flowers, and the balloon flowers with poppies, 

 and the poppies with cactus." 



If we were to watch a bee at work, we should 

 quickly discover one reason why this does not 

 happen — one reason, at least, why cherries, 

 prunes, roses, and geraniums have not long ago 

 been reduced to a scrambled mess. 



Our observation of the bee would show that, in 

 going from flower to flower, it goes usually to 

 flowers of a kind. 



We should see that, if it starts in the morning 

 with clover, it visits no other blossom during the 



205 



