BUFFON— FULLER QUOTATIONS. 1 69 



essentially different from this. Man, however, by means 

 of grafting, produces what may be called secondary 

 species, which he can propagate at will ; for the bud 

 or small branch which he engrafts upon the stock con- 

 tains within itself the individual quality which cannot 

 be transmitted by seed, but which needs only to be 

 developed in order to bring forth the same fruits as 

 the individual from which it was taken in order to be 

 grafted on to the ^ild stock. The wild stock imparts 

 none of its bad qualities to the bud, for it did not con- 

 tribute to the forming thereof, being, as it were, a wet 

 nurse, and no true mother. 



" In the case of animals, the greater number of those 

 features which appear individual, do not fail to be 

 transmitted to offspring, in the same way as specific 

 characters. It was easier then for man to produce an 

 effect upon the natures of animals than of plants. The 

 different breeds in each animal species are variations 

 that have become constant and hereditary, while 

 vegetable species on the other hand present no varia- 

 tions that can be depended on to be transmitted with 

 certainty. 



" In the species of the fowl and the pigeon alone, a 

 large number of breeds have been formed quite recently, 

 which are all constant, and in other species we daily 

 improve breeds by crossing them. From time to time 

 we acclimatize and domesticate some foreign and wild 

 species. All these examples of modern times prove 

 that man has but tardily discovered the extent of his 

 own power, and that he is not even yet sufficiently aware 

 of it. It depends entirely upon the exercise of his intel- 



