BOTANY 173 



nothing in science, We only describe, Botany does not at- 

 tempt to explain the facts of plant life, but merely to describe 

 the order of their occurrence. The notion of a 'Vital force'' 

 is hence superfluous and illogical The biologist is concerned 

 only with life as manifest in matter, and a "mechanical ex- 

 planation/' as Pearson has pointed out, means only a descrip- 

 tion of vital phenomena in the simple, concise language of 

 mechanics. If we mean anything more than this by explana- 

 tion, we leave the realm of natural science and enter that of 

 metaphysics, As de Vries has well said; "Chemistry 

 teaches us that living protoplasm, like any other substance, 

 must be built up of chemical molecules, and that a Anal ex- 

 planation of the phenomena of life can be reached only when 

 we shall succeed in deriving the processes in protoplasm from 

 the grouping of its molecules, and from the composition of 

 the latter out of their atoms,"* 



The ancients tried to conceal their ignorance by personi- 

 v, efficient causes and worshipping them. The result was 

 the confusion of polytheism, In modern times ignorance 

 tries to hide behind the impersonality of "vital force/' or 

 "entelechy," or what not. Let us frankly acknowledge that 

 we cast explain nothing, The rising of the sun or the fall 

 of a stone is as great a mystery as the germination of a seed, 

 or the intelligence that takes account of it, 



I* i* the mystery of it all that stimulates and rewards 

 at the same time, and makes the study of the little nturococ- 

 cus plant seem worth while and be worth while, And the 

 best of it all is that the botanist will never be able to answer 

 the question of questionsWhat is a plant? 



/Vrfes, Htffo d, /ntraceHtiJar P*0gefitif, Bug, trans, by 

 C, 8, Cager, Chicago, 1910, p, VI, 



