﻿Five-leaved 
  Clover 
  349 
  

  

  the 
  highest 
  percentage 
  are 
  chosen, 
  and 
  among 
  

   their 
  progeny 
  only 
  the 
  seedlings 
  with 
  trif 
  oliolate 
  

   primary 
  leaves 
  are 
  planted 
  out. 
  The 
  whole 
  

   procedure 
  of 
  the 
  selection 
  is 
  by 
  this 
  means 
  con- 
  

   fined 
  to 
  the 
  glasshouse 
  during 
  the 
  spring, 
  and 
  

   the 
  beds 
  need 
  not 
  be 
  large, 
  nor 
  do 
  they 
  require 
  

   any 
  special 
  care 
  during 
  the 
  summer. 
  

  

  By 
  this 
  method 
  I 
  brought 
  my 
  strain 
  within 
  

   two 
  years 
  up 
  to 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  nearly 
  90 
  % 
  of 
  the 
  

   seedlings 
  with 
  a 
  divided 
  primary 
  leaf. 
  Around 
  

   this 
  average 
  the 
  real 
  numbers 
  fluctuated 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  the 
  maximum 
  of 
  99$ 
  and 
  the 
  minimum 
  

   of 
  70$ 
  or 
  thereabouts. 
  This 
  condition 
  was 
  

   reached 
  by 
  the 
  sixth 
  generation 
  in 
  the 
  year 
  1894, 
  

   and 
  has 
  since 
  proved 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  limit, 
  the 
  group 
  

   of 
  figures 
  remaining 
  practically 
  the 
  same 
  during 
  

   all 
  the 
  succeeding 
  generations. 
  

  

  Such 
  selected 
  plants 
  are 
  very 
  rich 
  in 
  leaves 
  

   with 
  four, 
  five 
  and 
  six 
  blades. 
  Excluding 
  the 
  

   small 
  leaves 
  at 
  the 
  tops 
  of 
  the 
  branches, 
  and 
  

   those 
  on 
  the 
  numerous 
  weaker 
  side-branches, 
  

   these 
  three 
  groups 
  include 
  the 
  large 
  majority 
  

   of 
  all 
  the 
  stronger 
  leaves. 
  In 
  summer 
  the 
  

   range 
  is 
  wider, 
  and 
  besides 
  many 
  trifoliolate 
  

   leaves 
  the 
  curiously 
  shaped 
  seven-bladed 
  ones 
  

   are 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  rare. 
  In 
  the 
  fall 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  win- 
  

   ter 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  variability 
  is 
  narrowed, 
  and 
  

   at 
  first 
  sight 
  the 
  plants 
  often 
  seem 
  to 
  bear 
  only 
  

   quinquefoliolate 
  leaves. 
  

  

  