AN IMPROVED VARIETY OF MAN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 35, 5 November 1907, Page 9

AN IMPROVED VARIETY OF MAN.

LUTHER BURBANK ACAIN. TO PRODUCE THE BEST. Lutlior Burbank the great American "plant wizard," declares that much greater wonders can be performed in the development of children than with plants. • When it is recalled that Mr. Burbank has produced a gigantic stoneless plum, a wliito blackberry, a vino that bears potatoes on its roots and tomatoes up above,- a combination' of peach and almond, a mixture of pineapple and quince, and many equally remarkable things, it will bo appreciated that he looks forward to creating a '. very . extraordinary child. In his newly-published work, "Tho Training of the Human Plant," he says: , "During tho course of many years of-in-vestigation into the plant life of the worid, creating new forms, modifying old ones, adapting others to now conditions ,and blending still others, I have constantly been impressed with the similarity between the >rganisation and development of plant and human life." ■'....'. He indicates distinctly the way in which the human race may best be developed when he says: : : "The crossing of species to mo is paramount. Upon it, wisely directed and accompanied by.a rigid selection of .tho best and as rigid an"exclusion of thu poorest, rests tlic hope of all progress!" Mr. Burba nk shows that just fifty different races are being amalgamated to produce the future American, am! he shows lion , from this combination he could . produce, by applying the discoveries he. has made in plant.breeding, the most perfect being the world has ever seen. ~.-■■ Just -as'.tho plant breeder always notices sudden changes and breaks,-as yell as many minor.,modifications, when : lid joins. two or more'plants'of diverse typo from widciysoparated parts of ,the globe—sometimes merging an' absolutely wild strain with, one that, long overcivilised, liar, largely lost virility—Justus he finds among the dcscomhnis a'plant-.which'is likely, to bo stronger mid better than eitiinr. ancestor,' so (writes die "New'.York .World") may we notice constant changes and breaks and. modifications g'-iiig on about us in this vast cbmuination of rsues, and so,may we hope for a far stronger and better race if right principles are followed ■ a •magnificent nice, far superior to anything preceding it.. . ■ ■. - - ..'■'.. Here is the North, powerful, virile, hggre» : sive, blended, with the luxurious, easo-lovmg, more impetuous, Smith. .Again-you have, olio merging of 11 cold, phlegmatic temperament with one mercurial and volatile. . Still, again,' the union of, groat native mental .strength, developed or-undeveloped', with bodily vigour, but with, inferior mind. Any trait desired can bo bred in a child, just as there is not.a single attribute wliion, lacking in a plant, may not be bred into it. Choose what improvements you wish 111 a flower, a fruit or a tree, and by crossing, selection, cultivation and .persistence, .ton can fix this desirable trait irrevocably, j.ick but any trait you want in your child—be it, honesty, fairness, purity, lovabieness, industry, thrift or anything else. By' feeding tliis cliild well-balanced, nutritious food, by giving it all that is implied in- healthful environmental influences, you can cultivate in UlO child arid fix there all of these traits. '; "Naturally," adds Mr. Burbank, "not always to the full in all cases at of thework, for heredity will make , itself :elt first,; and,' as in the plant; under improvement there will be certain strong ,teiide.n ,ics .'to reversion to former ancestral traits; iiit in the main, with the. normal child,,you can give him all these traits by. patiently, persistently guiding him in these early formative years.- ~-:. , ,-..., i ■-■■-. : "And, on the'other"side, givo him foul air to breathe,, keep him in a-dusty factory, or an unwhplesonie schoolroom, or a crowded tonomerit;, up,under the hot roof, koep him -away, from the. sunshine,,take away from -him music and laughter- and happy-faces; cram his little brains with.so-called knowlelgo, all the more deceptive and dangerous because made so apparently adaptable to his young mind, let him have vicious' associates in his hours out of school, and at the age of con you have fixed in him' the opposite traits.' He is on his way to tho gallows."

A DOZEN FAMILIES TO BE EXPERI- . . MENTED UPON. , Mr. Burbank would prohibit in every SUto in the "Union the marnago of the physically, mentally, and morally unlit. He points out that when we blend, two .poisonous plants we get a third even moro virulent, a vegetaole degenerate. A similar thing happens When two degenerato human beings are united. The wizard proposes to take a dozen normal families, representing tho best native and foreign stocks, let them live by-themselves ant 1 breed from them the ideal race. If he could have theso families under ideal conditions he could accomplish more, for the race in teii gonorations than now bo accomplished in a ■ hundred thousand years. Ten generations of human-life should be amplo to-fix any desired attribute. This is absolutely, clear. There is neither theory nor. speculation. Given the fact that the most sensitive material in all the world on which to work is tho nature of a little child, given ideal conditions under which to work upon this nature, and/the end desired will come as certainly as it conies in the cultivation of cho plant. .There will be this difference, howovor, that it will be immuasurably easier, to produce: and fix any desired'traits in /tho child than in the plant. - ._ ! Mr. Burbank looks forward in the first place to producing a man who shall combine the physical stature of the Scandinavian, tho artistic nature of.the Italian, the.strong intellect of the German, tho practical sense of the Englishman, the high spirit'of tho Irishman, and. all the most .admirable qualities that,distinguish the leading races which iiwko up our nation. ' ' : But the modifications in tho human form which are made possible by the scientist's discoveries go much further than this. It is possible to make any change in a child that it- is possible to make in a plant, and it is, much easier. Now, Mr. Burbank has produced a stoneless plum. Therefore it seems clear that he could produce a boneless man; but that would not bo desirable, and he would not attempt it. What we need (continues the "World") i? a man who is best adapted to the conditions of American life and the groat aimiof American life, which is wealth and success. The ideal-man for this purpose will be possessed of a large, active brain, and great powers of physical endurance, but not necessarily great ■muscular strength. Naturally, Professor Burbank does not specify all the achievements in changing tho shapo and appearaiico of man ■ which his theories and experiments render possibla. He is a conservative scientist, and only cai'CS to speak which lie has achieved or considers absolutely certain in the near future, but it is not unprofitable to speculate upon some of the more remarkable' modifications of the human animal which may bo accomplished by Burbank's magic. • • The now man will have long arms and large hands, with which to hang to straps in our public conveyances. His hands will have six fingers, in order to manipulate tho typewriter more rapidly, to count money, and to attend to. tho manifold details of office work. It will be easy to devlop this feature from'the numerous six-fingered peoplo now in existence. The scientist will take the big head of jno man, tho long arms of another, tho strong lungs of another, the big heart of another, tho" powerful stomach of another, the tough logs of another, and ho will combino them all by.breeding to make tho future human He will also combine the scientific bruin of an Edison, the business sagacity of,a ITarriliinn, the imagination of a Lawson, the courage of a Hobson, the artistic sense of a Gibson, the eloquence of a Dclmas, tho literary talent of a Murk' Twain, the generosity ul' a Rockefeller, and tho peacofuluoss of a Carnegie •It has boon suggested that the new man should have four arms in order that he may do more work, but that may bo considered freakish. At any rate, it will be desiniDlo to develop the feet so that they will becomu as serviceable as hands. The young baby's foot before they are encased in tipht leather

shoos are utmost as flexible as hands, and vo would be 'comparatively simple to develop thorn by exercise to a much higher point. The new man will have double drums to his wirs, in order to endure the noises of modern civilisation. His logs will be. smnll, because long ones are not necessary when ho always rides, and they are. very much in the way, but lie will hiivo coinltess feet, in order that ho may not suffer when everybody treads on them. The scientist will be very careful to pick out cdmless ancestors for the new man. Ho will have strong, sound teeth, needing no filling, and able to masticate tho toughest beef with pleasure. At- present man wastes a great deal of timo and, money changing and buying clothes, and yet he does not fool comfortable. Iho improved man will have a long coat of, line hair, which will attain its greatest thick.iess in winter, drop off in summer, and grow again tho following winter. There are plenty or hairy men among our now emigrants, ham whom this trait could bo bred. Some scientjts discern a natural tendency of modern civilised mail to become a feeble, nervous creature, all head and no body, without hair, and with only enough eyesight to see as far as his desk. Professor Burbanii would, of course, combat tho tendency to develop such an unhappy weakling. His model man will bo strong, although peculiarly adapted to a)l the purposes of civilisation. His eyes will be poworful, but better adapted for sooings things near at hand than at a distance, for modern business requires one to (look close. Perhaps it will bo possible to develop the rudimentary third eye, which already exists in the human brain, and is known as tho pineal gland. . It may bo deemed advisable to train this rudimentary eye to grow out at tho back of' the head, in order that a man may see boliind him. Tt would have to bo moved Hit very little from its present position. It ivould ;ilso be of great benefit to humanity if man could grow an eye on the end of one of his fingers. The dentist, for instance, would find this eyo of enormous advantage, for he is unable to look directly at the backs of teeth and/ obscure - parts of tho month. The finger eye would be equally useful to the surgeon when he wishes; to 'ooi: down the throat or into other interior parts of the body. . • • : ■ When the matter is viewed scientifically it seems quite natural to expect that inari would evolve a finger eye. Many of the crustaceans have, eyes at the ends of their feeiors, which correspond to fingers. Such an organ would ho of even more use to a nan than to them. . . ' . Professor Burbaiik even looks forward i-o the 'development of :i new sense, although ;ie does not specify its nature. "We have now, ' he says, "what are popularly known as five senses, but there are. men of strong minds whoso reasoning hns rarely been at fiiiilt and who are. coldly scientific in theirmethojs, who attest to the possibility of yet developing a sixth sense. "Who is he who can say man will not develop new senses as evolution ndrances? Psychology is /now studied in most of '.no higher institutions of learning throughout the country,-and that study will load to a greater knowledge of these -' subjects, 'i'ne iii!in of the future, ages will prove a somewhat different order of being from that, of the present. He may look upon us as wo Joday look upon our ancestors." A long, supple neck is a very useful posses-sion,-and one which is comparatively raroj: It onables the possessor to look up and down and all-about Him with case, whereas r lio ordinary man is as stiff as a wooden effigy." The new man will have a neck of the improved design. Ho will have strong nerves, for tho conditions of modern life, the vast crowds and the constantly increasing use of machinery, must put the greatest strain upon the nervous system. Ho will be able to stand all sorts of noises' and jostling without a tremor, and his powerful nerves wilh permit him to make wonderfully successful ,l«als in jusiness. . ' ' ■