Lecture VII 



FALSE ATAVISM OR VICINISM 



About the middle of the last century Louis 

 de Vilmorin showed that it was possible to 

 subject plants to the methods of ameliora- 

 tion of races then in use for domestic animals, 

 and since that time atavism has played a large 

 part in all breeding-processes. It was consid- 

 ered to be the greatest enemy of the breeder, 

 and was generally spoken of as a definite force, 

 working against and protracting the endeav- 

 ors of the horticulturist. 



No clear conception as to its true nature had 

 been formulated, and even the propriety of 

 designating the observed phenomena by the 

 term atavism seemed doubtful. Duchesne 

 used this word some decades ago to designate 

 those cases in which species or varieties revert 

 spontaneously, or from unknown internal 

 causes, to some long-lost characters of their an- 

 cestors. Duchesne's definition was evidently a 

 sharp and useful one, since it developed for the 

 first time the idea of latent or dormant qualities, 



185 



