"Extract from the autumn crocus," said Sands. "Makes plants tend to double their chromosomes."
Around them, the garden was a solid blaze of color. Zinnias, marigolds, phlox cast their colorful bounty to the air.
"I'm afraid I'm not much of a horticulturist," apologized Truggles.
"Well, it's like this," said Sands. "Every cell of every plant of the same species has the same number of chromosomes—you know, those bright little threads that hold the guiding genes of growth and development. Mutations in plants come when there are changes in individual genes from time to time. But when you hit them with colchicine, the chromosomes sometimes double without the cell dividing. Creates a new species, usually bigger, stronger, slower growing. Call them tetraploids. I've heard it called 'cataclysmic evolution.'"
"You mean man tampers with the basic laws of nature?" asked Truggles, awed and disturbed.
"I reckon you could call it that. Lots of plants have been treated that way—tomatoes, snapdragons, alyssum. Of course, it happens naturally, too. Wheat developed from the crossing of an inferior early species, einkorn, with a wild grass. Einkorn and the grass had seven chromosomes each, but in crossing the chromosomes were doubled. The result was Persian wheat, a superior variety with 14 chromosomes."
Sands took the pipe from his mouth and knocked the ashes out against the sole of his shoe. Pulling a sack of tobacco thoughtfully from his hip pocket, he began to refill it.
"Blan had a theory," he said, "that doubling of chromosomes in animals in the past could have given rise to new species and explain a lot of gaps in evolution. Man has 48 chromosomes in every cell, and Blan pointed out to me that 48 is double 24, which is double 12, which is double six, which is double three. He thought that was too much of a coincidence. I reckon I do, too."
He paused and struck a wooden match, holding it against the bowl of his pipe and sucking noisily.
"I don't hold with the evolutionary theory," said Truggles stiffly. "What I really wanted to ask you, Mayor Sands, was whether you are aware that Blan Forsythe is practicing polygamy, right here in Marston Hill?"