LUTHER BURBANK 



certitude and grow and multiply and reproduce 

 themselves indefinitely. 



This part of the procedure is indeed mysterious 

 and beyond the fathoming of the human mind. 



Yet perhaps it may be made to seem at least a 

 little more tangible and explicable, even if not 

 less mysterious, by an interpretation in which we 

 are permitted for once to make use of the imagina- 

 tion. Suppose we .imagine the existence within 

 the complex structure of the infinitesimal germ 

 plasm organism of a being of human intelligence, 

 but of atomic proportions — an elf that has control 

 of the hereditary factors, considered now as ma- 

 terial entities, and directs their use in the building 

 up of a new organism, somewhat as a human 

 architect directs the use of material in the con- 

 struction of a human habitation. 



Let us then assume that the material making 

 up the nucleus of a pollen cell as it comes to the 

 ovule of a flower and is brought in contact with 

 the nucleus of the ovule, is in charge of one such 

 elfin architect, and that the materials of the nu- 

 cleus of the ovule itself are in charge of another 

 elfin architect. The task of building the new 

 structure that is to result from the union of the 

 two nuclei devolves upon these two elfin archi- 

 tects jointly. They must work in co-operation and 

 their decisions will determine how the hereditary 



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