ON HARNESSING HEREDITY 



rators have finished the architect's house, and the 

 keys are tui-ned over to the new owner — then, 

 and from that moment, the structure begins to 

 depreciate until it crumbles in decay. The 

 furniture movers dent the stair rails, the chil- 

 dren scratch the doors, dust begins to darken and 

 destro}^ the lustre of polished surfaces; and the 

 sun and night, and the frosts and the thaws, and 

 the rain and the heat, slowly and irresistibly carry 

 the structure on its downward grade. 



But when the architect of plants has combined 

 old traits into the production of his ideal, he has 

 fashioned something which, if his work is well 

 done, the suns, and the rains, and the frosts, and 

 the winds will not depreciate; he has produced a 

 living thing which, in spite of discouragements, 

 and neglect, and abuse, will keep on, and on, and 

 on — improving as it goes. 



***** 



How few, indeed, are the materials which the 

 architect of buildings has at his conimand, when 

 compared with the range of living traits which the 

 architect of plants may call into play ! 



— Our search, then, is a search for stored 

 up heredities — a search for living traits. 



