Book excerpt: Excerpt from Plant Genetics It should be realized that genetics is a natural out growth from the study of organic evolution. The con ception of evolution began as a speculation, but became scientific in connection with the work of lamarck and darwin. In such work the method used was that of Observation and inference. Facts were observed and an explanation was devised that would relate them. Resemblances and differences among species were noted, and it was inferred that these indicated degrees of relationship. It was assumed that closely related species must have had a comparatively recent common ancestry and that more distantly related species must have had a more remote common ancestry. Through comparisons of structure and of geographical distribution systems of phylogeny have been inferred, and an outline of the evolution of the plant and animal kingdoms has been the result. All of these conclusions are based upon comparison and inference. This method reached its extreme application in the work of darwin, whose observations included a range of forms and an extent of time unequaled by any pre ceding student oi evolution. It may be said that in darwin's work the method of comparison and infer ence reached the limit of its possibilities. The students of evolution were chiefly concerned With explaining the Changes that resulted in phylogeny. In other words. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.