70 CATTLE-BREEDING. 



cases man has developed, built up, changed, and 

 by his interference he has introduced a new 

 element of artificial life and dependence upon 

 man into their natures. If this support were 

 withdrawn the retrograde movement would 

 speedily begin. Watch the summer fields and 

 see how much more lusty the weeds grow than 

 the corn, the cockle than the wheat. And the 

 ignorant, seeing how quickly deterioration 

 takes place in wheat that is run wild, stamped 

 their recognition of this tendency by attribut- 

 ing to the wild rye, or "cheat/' the character of 

 degenerate wheat. In the economy of Nature 

 the ordering of these relations of life is the 

 same as under domestication, if not so obvious. 

 By "natural selection" the strongest are made 

 stronger; the weaker go to the wall. The sur- 

 vival of the fittest was a well chosen and apt 

 term to express this idea. On some soils one 

 plant will thrive and displace others which 

 would displace it in a different soil. In one 

 climate one variety of animals finds a conge- 

 nial home while others pine and die. 



But Nature is a cherishing mother. She 

 knows the pangs of parturition too well to 

 destroy a race of children which only need to 

 be modified to meet new conditions of life. 

 Hence, we see many animals and plants which 

 after enduring changed condition of life for 

 some generations suddenly begin to vary; that 



