THE HUMAN PLANT 361 



They are often crowded into dark, ill-venti- 

 lated tenements, amidst surroundings that not 

 only lack the light and air and joyousness of the 

 country, but are often positively vitiated as to 

 their mental and moral no less than as to their 

 physical atmosphere. 



It is as if we were to take the plants that have 

 been bred in the rich, well-watered, carefully 

 weeded soil of a garden and transplant them into 

 an infertile, dry soil, choked with weeds and away 

 from sunlight. 



By no chance could we expect the plants under 

 these conditions to attain full growth or to put 

 forth even a fair complement of flowers and 

 fruits. 



The giant amaryllis, which under proper con- 

 ditions will put forth splendid stalks bearing 

 flowers ten inches across, would be reduced, 

 under such altered conditions, to the production 

 of meager stalks and, at best, a restricted number 

 of dwarf flowers little calculated to add to the 

 reputation of the plant developer. 



The Power of Environment 



This matter of environment, then, goes hand 

 in hand with heredity and is a final determining 

 factor in deciding the character of the individual 

 product. 



