THE SELF-FERTILIZATION OF PLANTS. 397 



To the theory of the necessity for the full and pro- 

 portionate development of all the characters of a spe- 

 cies, it might possibly be objected that the law of 

 Compensation, propounded by Gcethe and the elder 

 Geoffroy, shows that "in order to spend on one side, 

 nature is forced to economize on the other side." 

 Darwin says, respecting this law of balancement of 

 growth, "I think this holds true to a certain extent 

 with our domestic productions ; " but doubts the uni- 

 versality of the rule. 



The fact is, that the rule holds good only where the 

 organism is impoverished; where, either, it is denied 

 food, chemical elements, &c, in amount sufficient for 

 the needs of all parts of the system ; or, where having 

 them to hand, it lacks the capacity for assimilating 

 enough for all of its parts. In either case, the reduc- 

 tion of some parts will benefit the growth of other 

 parts of the organism. 



This interpretation, however, is not needed to ob- 

 viate the objection to the theory of full and propor- 

 tionate development of all the parts, being necessary 

 to perfection ; for, even when by economy on the one 

 side of an organism, an impulse is given to the growth 

 of the other part, physiological injury accrues in pro- 

 portion to the extent to which the normal ratio of the 

 characters has been vitiated. Quite frequently, by keep- 

 ing down the growth of some of the parts of a plant, 

 other parts, — say, the reproductive organs, the repro- 

 ductive elements, and the fruit thereof, — will be greatly 

 augmented in structure. But, this augmentation in 

 structure, even in such parts, will lessen the fertility 

 34* 



