104 Elementary Species 



fluence of such alterations will manifest itself 

 in most cases simply in new numerical propor- 

 tions. Only extremes have extreme effects, and 

 the chance for the weaker sorts to be complete- 

 ly overthrown is therefore very small. 



Any one, who has the opportunity of observ- 

 ing a waste field during a series of years, should 

 make notes concerning the numerical propor- 

 tions of its inhabitants. Exact figures are not 

 at all required; approximate estimates will or- 

 dinarily prove to be sufficient, if only the stand- 

 ard remains the same during the succeeding 

 years. 



The entire mass of historic evidence goes to 

 prove that the same conditions have always 

 prevailed, from the very beginning of cultiva- 

 tion up to the present time. The origin of 

 the cultivation of cereals is to be sought in cen- 

 tral Asia. The recent researches of Solms- 

 Laubach show it to be highly probable that the 

 historic origin of the wheat cultivated in China, 

 is the same as that of the wheat of Egypt and 

 Europe. Eemains of cereals are found in the 

 graves of Egyptian mummies; in the mounds 

 of waste material of the lake-dwellings of Cen- 

 tral Europe, and figures of cereals are to be 

 seen on old Roman coins. In the sepulchre of 

 King Ea-n-Woser of the Fifth Dynasty of 

 Egypt, who lived about 5200 years B. C., two 



