Applications to Plant and Animal Breeding.—Turning to the practical applications of the scientific work on the method of heredity, the name of Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk, stands out most prominently. Mendel lived from 1822 until 1884. His work, of which we already have learned something (see page [258]), remained undiscovered until a few years ago. The application of his methods to plant and animal raising are of the utmost importance because the breeder is able to separate the qualities he desires and breed for those qualities only. Another name we have mentioned with reference to plant breeding is Hugo de Vries, the Dutchman who recently showed that in some cases plants arise as new species by sudden and great variations known as mutations. And lastly, in our own California, Luther Burbank, by careful hybridizing, is making lasting fame with his new and useful hybrid plants.
References
Conn, Biology. Silver, Burdett & Co.
Darwin, Life and Letters of Charles Darwin. Appletons.
Galton, Hereditary Genius. London (1892).
Thompson, Heredity. John Murray, London England.
Wasmann, Problem of Evolution. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner and Co., London, E. C.
APPENDIX
A SUGGESTED OUTLINE FOR BIOLOGY BEGINNING IN THE FALL
LIST OF TOPICS