THE SELF-FERTILIZATION OF PLANTS. 383 



ing instance of the stimulating effects of crossing 

 the breeds ; for, the smallest variety, whose height 

 rarely exceeded two feet, was increased to six feet ; 

 whilst the height of the large and luxuriant kind, was 

 very little diminished.' " 



The offspring was not diminished, or increased, to a 

 mere mean, between the two varieties which were, re- 

 spectively, large and small; because the capacity for 

 reversion to the greater height, lay ready to be ex- 

 ercised, in the smaller variety ; and, doubtless, the 

 latter also made amends, for its small size, by con- 

 tributing some positive differences, in some of its 

 characters, in which the large variety was deficient. 

 For, the accession of new characters, always, — or nearly 

 always, — brings with it increased size ; due, both to 

 the capacity for reversion, and to the room which this 

 accession demands. Crossing, Darwin asserts, in- 

 creases the size ; though, the fact belongs only to his 

 voluminous repertory of things which are " strange," 

 " wonderful," "remarkable," "peculiar," etc., and which 

 obey an " innate tendency." Darwin's forte lies in 

 facts ; his explanatory sagacity he seems to have ex- 

 hausted, in devising his " innate tendency," and his 

 " great law of nature." Those explanations (?) contain, 

 within them, the very quintessence of the absurd; but, 

 it is no paradox to assert, that there is ever a greater 

 expenditure of cerebral phosphorus, involved in the 

 conception and application of a fallacious doctrine, 

 than there is, in the discovery of the grandest truths. 

 The hard attrition, of each fact, against the fallacy, is 

 most wearing to the~~brain; whereas, a true principle 



