Dem einzelnen Beobachter kann leicht ein Differentiale entgehen, welches, wenn es auch anfangs unbedeutend scheint, doch so anwachsen kann, dass es für das Gesammt-Resultat nicht vernachlässigt werden darf.
A very small difference can easily escape an individual observer, which although it may appear insignificant initially, can yet increase to such an extent that it cannot be neglected in the overall result.
small difference = Differentiale Druery has “differential [factor]”, Bateson “differential [element]” , and Sherwood “distinguishing point”. Mendel uses a mathematical term here which signifies an infinitely small difference between variables and plays a fundamental role in the calculus.
increase = anwachsen It is not quite clear in which sense differences can “increase”, or “grow”, in the course of Mendelian experiments. It may be that Mendel wanted to say that small deviations from expected results become more noticeable the larger the numbers of individual plants grown, thus invoking the law of large numbers (see p. 29, s. 12). It is also possible, however, that Mendel believed that there might be dynamic processes by which heritable differences become more pronounced.