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  Fluctuations 
  

  

  dom 
  might 
  be 
  called 
  seed-variation, 
  as 
  opposed 
  

   to 
  partial 
  or 
  bud-fluctuation. 
  And 
  perhaps 
  these 
  

   terms 
  are 
  more 
  apt 
  to 
  convey 
  a 
  clear 
  conception 
  

   of 
  the 
  distinction 
  than 
  any 
  other. 
  The 
  germ 
  

   within 
  the 
  unripe 
  seed 
  is 
  easily 
  understood 
  to 
  

   be 
  far 
  more 
  sensitive 
  to 
  external 
  conditions 
  than 
  

   a 
  bud. 
  

  

  Multiplication 
  of 
  extremes 
  by 
  seed 
  is 
  thus 
  al- 
  

   ways 
  counteracted 
  by 
  individual 
  variability, 
  

   which 
  at 
  once 
  reopens 
  all, 
  or 
  nearly 
  all, 
  the 
  ini- 
  

   tial 
  possibilities. 
  Multiplication 
  by 
  buds 
  is 
  ex- 
  

   empt 
  from 
  this 
  danger 
  and 
  thus 
  leads 
  to 
  a 
  high 
  

   degree 
  of 
  uniformity. 
  And 
  this 
  uniformity 
  is 
  in 
  

   many 
  cases 
  exactly 
  what 
  the 
  breeder 
  endeavors 
  

   to 
  obtain. 
  

  

  We 
  will 
  treat 
  of 
  this 
  reopening 
  of 
  previous 
  

   possibilities 
  under 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  regression 
  in 
  the 
  

   next 
  lecture. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  absolute, 
  at 
  least 
  

   not 
  in 
  one 
  generation. 
  Part 
  of 
  the 
  improve- 
  

   ment 
  remains, 
  and 
  favors 
  the 
  next 
  generation. 
  

   This 
  part 
  may 
  be 
  estimated 
  approximately 
  as 
  

   being 
  about 
  one-third 
  or 
  one-half 
  of 
  the 
  im- 
  

   provement 
  attained. 
  Hence 
  the 
  conclusion 
  that 
  

   vegetative 
  multiplication 
  gives 
  rise 
  to 
  varieties 
  

   which 
  are 
  as 
  a 
  rule 
  twice 
  or 
  thrice 
  as 
  good 
  as 
  

   selected 
  varieties 
  of 
  plants 
  propagated 
  by 
  seeds. 
  

   Hence, 
  likewise 
  the 
  inference 
  that 
  breeders 
  gen- 
  

   erally 
  prefer 
  vegetative 
  multiplication 
  of 
  im- 
  

   proved 
  forms, 
  and 
  apply 
  it 
  in 
  all 
  possible 
  cases. 
  

  

  