PREFACE. 



All religious discussion has been studiously avoided in 

 this work, and solely positive processes of discovery have 

 been employed. The argument is founded, exclusively, upon 

 an analysis of the facts of variation, and of selection, as 

 those facts are presented by Mr. Darwin, in his " Origin of 

 Species," in his "Animals and Plants under Domestica- 

 tion," and in his "Fertilization of Orchids." 



The design is to show, that the very same facts, which Dar- 

 win confesses his inability to explain, yet upon which he relies 

 to sustain his theory, may be explained, to the advantage of 

 every breeder, fancier, horticulturist, and agriculturist ; and 

 explained in a way which signally disproves the theory, that 

 Man, and other species of animal, and species of plant, were 

 evolved from lower types. 

 . The arguments herein are all drawn from the phenomena 

 presented by plants, and by the lower animals ; it having been 

 deemed more favorable to a temperate and unprejudiced dis- 

 cussion of the subject, to exclude all mention of Man, — upon 

 the understanding, however, that such laws as may be proven 

 to obtain with the lower organisms, must prevail (ceteris 

 paribus) also with Man. 



Of the cause of Variations, or improvements ; of the cause of 

 the good generally resulting from Crossing ; of the cause of 

 the evils frequently attendant upon Close-Interbreeding ; of 



