A Three- fold Development. 151 



from previous ones, or the development of new species 

 by mocliflcation of existing ones. Tliis ease, to me, seems, 

 on the contrary, to be such good evidence in favor of 

 the theory of the origin of species by modification that I 

 must spend a few moments in considering it. All about 

 us, in this region, there grows wild the plant we call the 

 sunflower. Under the care of nature, and in harmony 

 Avith the environment furnished by our common mother, 

 this plant gTows and thrives. Its blossoms are many to 

 each individual, but they are small, while the seeds are 

 few and imperfect. In its wild state, it is wholly a child 

 of nature, and lives in harmony with its environment. 

 But at one time man took some of the plants and, by 

 care and cultivation, completely changed their appear- 

 ance, producing at least a different variety. The plant, 

 under the care of man, with its cultivation and more 

 generous nutriment, instead of producing, like the wild 

 ones, many small and less perfect blossoms and imper- 

 fect seeds, brought forth one large and perfect blossom 

 and abundance of fertile seeds. In short, surrounded by 

 an artificial environment by the care of man, the plant 

 at once responded by growing in harmony with the more 

 favorable conditions and became very unlike its wild 

 ancestors. 



After some years of culture it was neglected and 

 again left to the care of its mother, Nature. At once it 

 began another change, and, growing in harmony with 

 its less favorable surroundings, reverted to the form and 

 condition of its earlier ancestry. Now, in this case, we 

 have positive proof that this plant, with a new and more 

 generous environment, changed itself and lived in har- 

 mony with its new and better conditions. When the 

 artificial environment was withdrawn, the plant made 

 another change, and was again in harmony with its sur- 

 roundings. Now the conditions provided by Nature were 

 not appreciably changed during the short time of this 

 experiment, and the plant naturally reverted to its wild 

 state as soon as the interference of man was withdrawn. 

 Nature, to make the same changes in the surroundings 

 of this plant, might require and take the time of a hun- 

 dred generations of man, but when the change had been 



