LUMBER TREES 101 



pine and linden and locust has a thousand points 

 of unison with every other member of its own 

 species, could we analyze its characteristics in 

 detail, for every conspicuous point of divergence. 

 If we consider minutiag of detail as to size and 

 exact form of leaf and all the rest, no two in- 

 dividuals are identical. But if, on the other 

 hand, we take the broad view, it is clear that each 

 recognized species stands out in a place apart, 

 grouped with all the other members of its own 

 kind, and somewhat isolated from all other 

 species. 



Such being the obvious fact, it was perhaps 

 not strange that the botanists and foresters of 

 twenty-five years ago looked almost with sus- 

 picion on anyone who suggested that the differ- 

 ent species of forest trees might be interbred 

 and modified and used as material for building 

 of new species that would better fulfill the con- 

 ditions of reforestation than any existing species. 

 Even botanists who thought that they fully 

 grasped the idea of Darwinian evolution looked 

 askance at such a suggestion. 

 ' It seemed to bid defiance to the laws of 

 heredity, as they understood them. 



It appeared almost like an affront to Nature 

 herself to suggest that her handiwork might thus 

 be modified and improved. ' 



