170 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATIONS [Inn 



when the little ideas have to see the light, and they soon come 

 forth panoplied in all the strength of their base progenitor. 

 They live and work their mischief for generations, and again 

 propagate themselves as curses to families whom the parent 

 alligator mind had never seen. Like the reptile, the mind of 

 man possesses the capacity for propagating posthumous injuries 

 upon the world. RE. 



Innovation without Destruction. 



You say you hate innovation, are afraid of it ; it is destruc- 

 tive. Ask your gardener to explain how he effects an innova- 

 tion with which you are always pleased but never are afraid 

 of. He will show you a trunk of a tree cut through horizontally, 

 with a vertical cleft made in its centre some inches deep. Into 

 this cleft the branch of a graft with several buds, and cut to 

 the shape of the cleft, is inserted, which is closely in contact 

 with the sides of the cleft. The cleft is then covered with 

 mortar of some kind, and bound firmly together by means of 

 cord. He will tell you that cleft-grafting is operated success- 

 fully both on the trunks and roots of your trees. Horticulture 

 has instructed him how, by this means, to change with advan- 

 tage the products of trees of the same species, making the head 

 bear fruit and flowers other than those belonging to the prin- 

 cipal stem. In fact he restores the vigour and sweetness of 

 youth to a tree already aged and exhausted. Is not this opera- 

 tion innovation without destruction ? !N r ay more, is it not in- 

 novation effecting actual improvement 1 Now in society there 

 are many old institutions like that trunk of a tree of yours and 

 those stumpy roots. They have flourished out their day, are 

 now nearly effete. But they have just enough vitality to sup- 

 ply to a new principle all that that new principle requires in 

 order to make it grow in men's esteem and bud and blossom 

 like the rose. You do not want the old institution removed : 

 you do not merely desire it to cumber the ground in its present 

 melancholy barrenness to tell the tale of better days. The 

 perpetuation in inelegance and uselessness of the worn-out forms 

 of once beautiful growths cannot be a very sacred duty when 

 it is obvious that by a little proper management, and a judi- 



