NEW CREATIONS IN PLANT LIFE 



thousands of them at that very time practically 

 thornless and spiculess, and all marching 

 forward under his direction to produce a 

 cactus which should not only have none of 

 these undesirable things but which should 

 have many others of distinct value to man. 



,/ An indication of the wonderful growing v 

 powers of the new cactus is seen in the fact 

 that in three years' time a single plant from 



v^eed produces six hundred pounds of food. 

 Another, and most important, feature of the'" 

 new cactus is that it has begun to breed true 

 to type, from the seed, while it, however, 

 invariably persists from cuttings of the leaves. 

 The cactus, as well as all other plants, 

 stubborn or pliable, persists when once it has 

 been definitely fixed in its new ways. Just as 

 the cactus through all the ages has persisted in 

 bearing thorns and persisted in filling its thalli 

 with spicules, just so it will persist in getting 

 along without them when once it has been 

 fully broken of the habit of bearing them. So 

 the new cactus begins a new era in its family, 

 an era of unexampled prosperity, and the era 

 of good will and not enmity to man. 



The possibilities of the new cactus have an 



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