LUTHER BURBANK 



this conclusion; and obviously if this interpreta- 

 tion of germ plasm be accepted, it is a mere quib- 

 ble as to whether the change or modification of an 

 individual plant involves primarily the germ plasm 

 or whether it involves the body plasm of the same 

 cell as well. 



Of course such mere incidental modifications of 

 an individual as have to do with injury of its parts, 

 the laceration of tissues, or the like, cannot be 

 supposed to have any influence in heredity. 



If such accidental modifications are heritable, 

 the entire scheme of inheritance would become 

 chaotic. 



The modification that is heritable must be one 

 that involves the constitution, so to speak, of the 

 plant; such modification as would be brought 

 about by changed conditions of nutrition, or by an 

 altered temperature. A certain amount of experi- 

 mental proof is already in hand that such modifi- 

 cations as these may be inherited. And if the 

 opponents of the theory of the transmission of 

 acquired traits can get any comfort out of the 

 claim that such modifications directly effect the 

 germ plasm, we need not wish to rob them of that 

 cold comfort. 



Details as to the special manner of inheritance 

 aside, we may accept it, I think, as the only logical 

 conclusion from a wide survey of the facts of her- 



[216] 



