﻿806 
  Fluctuations 
  

  

  gression 
  in 
  the 
  organic 
  world. 
  But 
  the 
  ex- 
  

   perience 
  of 
  the 
  breeders 
  does 
  not 
  support 
  this 
  

   view, 
  since 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  practice 
  prove 
  that 
  

   selection 
  according 
  to 
  a 
  constant 
  standard 
  

   soon 
  reaches 
  a 
  limit 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  capable 
  

   of 
  transgressing. 
  In 
  order 
  to 
  attain 
  further 
  

   improvements 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  selection 
  itself 
  

   must 
  be 
  improved. 
  A 
  better 
  and 
  sharper 
  

   method 
  assures 
  the 
  choice 
  of 
  more 
  valuable 
  

   representatives 
  of 
  the 
  race, 
  even 
  if 
  these 
  must 
  

   be 
  sought 
  for 
  in 
  far 
  larger 
  numbers 
  of 
  in- 
  

   dividuals, 
  as 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  law 
  of 
  Quetelet, 
  

  

  Continuous 
  or 
  even 
  prolonged 
  improvement 
  

   of 
  a 
  cultivated 
  race 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  frequent- 
  

   ly 
  repeated 
  selection, 
  but 
  of 
  the 
  improvement 
  of 
  

   the 
  standard 
  of 
  appreciation. 
  Nature, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  

   we 
  know, 
  changes 
  her 
  standard 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  

   time 
  only 
  in 
  consequence 
  of 
  the 
  migrations 
  of 
  

   the 
  species, 
  or 
  of 
  local 
  changes 
  of 
  climate. 
  

   Afterwards 
  the 
  new 
  standard 
  remains 
  un- 
  

   changed 
  for 
  centuries. 
  

  

  Selection, 
  according 
  to 
  a 
  constant 
  standard, 
  

   reaches 
  its 
  results 
  in 
  few 
  generations. 
  The 
  

   experience 
  of 
  Van 
  Mons 
  and 
  other 
  breeders 
  of 
  

   apples 
  shows 
  that 
  the 
  limit 
  of 
  size 
  and 
  luscious- 
  

   ness 
  may 
  be 
  soon 
  attained. 
  Vilmorin's 
  ex- 
  

   periments 
  with 
  wild 
  carrots 
  and 
  those 
  of 
  Car- 
  

   riere 
  with 
  radishes 
  lead 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  conclusion 
  

   as 
  regards 
  roots. 
  Improvements 
  of 
  flowers 
  in 
  

  

  