ON THE QUICK GROWING WALNUT 



hand, could go into the field and create new forms 

 of plant life at will. 



And because I ventured to point out that the 

 essential principles that now came to be spoken of 

 as Mendelian had been the guiding principles of 

 my experiments for at least twenty years before 

 Mendelism was heard of, I was denounced in some 

 quarters as reactionary, the fact being quite over- 

 looked that the essential principles involved had 

 been discovered by me quite independently; ex- 

 ploited by me in connection with many hundreds 

 of species; given publication by me prior to the re- 

 discovery of Mendel's forgotten paper; championed 

 by me against the opposition of all the leading 

 authorities of the world; and that therefore 

 the aspect of heredity in question might with full 

 propriety have been named "Burbankian" instead 

 of "Mendelian", were it not that Mendel's discovery 

 had priority because it was published so long ago 

 as 1863, whereas my independent discovery of the 

 principle was not made until almost twenty years 

 later. 



Even at that, however, I had had full twenty 

 years priority over any one else except Mendel in 

 the recognition of the principle. 



Therefore, as I just intimated, I have found it 

 a trifle disconcerting to be heralded as reactionary 

 and as scouting the essential principles that I 



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