“These sports appear to become fixed and permanent in the next and succeeding generations; and the tendency to revert and sport thenceforth seems to become checked if not absolutely stopped[141].” [141] The combinations being exhausted. Perhaps Professor Weldon thought his authority was here lapsing into palpable nonsense! Now if Professor Weldon instead of leaving off on the word “ancestry” had noticed this passage, I think his article would never have been written. Laxton proceeds:-- “The experiments also tend to show that the height of the plant is singularly influenced by crossing; a cross between two dwarf peas, commonly producing some dwarf and some tall [? in the second generation]; but on the other hand, a cross between two tall peas does not exhibit a tendency to diminution in height. “No perceptible difference appears to result from reversing the parents; the influence of the pollen of each parent at the climax or fourth generation producing similar results[142].” [142] Laxton constantly refers to this conception of the “climax” of--as we now perceive--analytical variation and recombination. Many citations could be given respecting his views on this “climax” (cp. p. 167). The significance of this latter testimony I will presently discuss. Professor Weldon next appeals to a later paper of Laxton’s published in 1890. From it he quotes this passage: “By means, however, of cross-fertilisation alone, and unless it be followed by careful and continuous selection, the labours of the cross-breeder, instead of benefiting the gardener, may lead to utter confusion,” Here again the reader would have gained had Professor Weldon, instead of leaving off at the comma, gone on to the end of the paragraph, which proceeds thus:-- “because, as I have previously stated, the Pea under ordinary conditions is much given to sporting and reversion, for when two dissimilar old or fixed varieties have been cross-fertilised, three or four generations at least must, under the most favourable circumstances, elapse before the progeny will become fixed or settled; and from one such cross I have no doubt that, by sowing every individual Pea produced during the three or four generations, hundreds of different varieties may be obtained; but as might be expected, I have found that where the two varieties desired to be intercrossed are unfixed, confusion will become confounded[143], and the variations continue through many generations, the number at length being utterly incalculable.” [143] Further subdivision and recombination of hypallelomorphs.