﻿788 
  Fluctuations 
  

  

  nection 
  with 
  the 
  detailed 
  pedigree-cultures. 
  It 
  

   is 
  the 
  question 
  as 
  to 
  what 
  might 
  be 
  expected 
  

   from 
  a 
  continuation 
  of 
  improvement 
  selection. 
  

   Would 
  it 
  be 
  possible 
  to 
  obtain 
  any 
  imaginable 
  

   deviation 
  from 
  the 
  original 
  type, 
  and 
  to 
  reach 
  

   independency 
  from 
  further 
  selection? 
  This 
  

   point 
  has 
  not 
  until 
  now 
  attracted 
  any 
  practical 
  

   interest, 
  and 
  from 
  a 
  practical 
  point 
  of 
  view 
  and 
  

   within 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  ordinary 
  cultures, 
  it 
  seems 
  

   impossible 
  to 
  obtain 
  a 
  positive 
  answer. 
  But 
  

   in 
  the 
  theoretical 
  discussion 
  of 
  the 
  problems 
  of 
  

   descent 
  it 
  has 
  become 
  of 
  the 
  highest 
  importance, 
  

   and 
  therefore 
  requires 
  a 
  separate 
  treatment, 
  

   which 
  will 
  be 
  reserved 
  for 
  the 
  next 
  lecture. 
  

  

  Here 
  we 
  come 
  upon 
  another 
  equally 
  diffi- 
  

   cult 
  problem. 
  It 
  relates 
  to 
  the 
  proportion 
  of 
  

   embryonic 
  or 
  individual 
  fluctuation, 
  to 
  partial 
  

   variation 
  as 
  involved 
  in 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  selec- 
  

   tion. 
  Probably 
  all 
  qualities 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  sub- 
  

   jected 
  to 
  selection 
  vary 
  according 
  to 
  both 
  prin- 
  

   ciples, 
  the 
  embryonic 
  decision 
  giving 
  only 
  a 
  

   more 
  definite 
  average, 
  around 
  which 
  the 
  parts 
  

   of 
  the 
  individual 
  are 
  still 
  allowed 
  to 
  oscillate. 
  

   It 
  is 
  so 
  with 
  the 
  corn, 
  and 
  whenever 
  two 
  

   or 
  more 
  ears 
  are 
  ripening 
  or 
  even 
  only 
  flower- 
  

   ing 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  plant, 
  differences 
  of 
  a 
  partial 
  

   nature 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  their 
  rows. 
  

   These 
  fluctuations 
  are 
  only 
  small 
  however, 
  or- 
  

   dinarily 
  not 
  exceeding 
  two 
  and 
  rarely 
  four 
  

  

  