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  Fluctuations 
  

  

  main, 
  a 
  distinct 
  relation 
  between 
  organic 
  

   strength 
  and 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  single 
  qual- 
  

   ities. 
  This 
  correlation 
  has 
  not 
  escaped 
  obser- 
  

   vation 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  sugar-cane, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   known 
  that 
  the 
  best 
  grown 
  stocks 
  are 
  generally 
  

   the 
  richest 
  in 
  sugar. 
  Now 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  that 
  

   the 
  best 
  grown 
  and 
  richest 
  stems 
  will 
  have 
  the 
  

   greater 
  chance 
  of 
  transmitting 
  these 
  qualities 
  

   to 
  the 
  lateral-buds. 
  This 
  at 
  once 
  gives 
  a 
  

   basis 
  for 
  vegetative 
  selection, 
  upon 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  

   not 
  necessary 
  to 
  choose 
  a 
  small 
  number 
  of 
  very 
  

   excellent 
  stems, 
  but 
  simply 
  to 
  avoid 
  the 
  plant- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  all 
  those 
  that 
  are 
  below 
  the 
  average. 
  By 
  

   this 
  means 
  the 
  yield 
  of 
  the 
  cultures 
  has 
  often 
  

   noticeably 
  been 
  enhanced. 
  

  

  As 
  far 
  as 
  experience 
  goes, 
  this 
  sort 
  of 
  selec- 
  

   tion, 
  however 
  profitable, 
  does 
  not 
  conduce 
  to 
  the 
  

   production 
  of 
  improved 
  races. 
  Only 
  temporary 
  

   ameliorations 
  are 
  obtained, 
  and 
  the 
  selection 
  

   must 
  be 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  every 
  year. 
  

   Moreover 
  the 
  improvement 
  is 
  very 
  limited 
  and 
  

   does 
  not 
  give 
  any 
  promise 
  of 
  further 
  increase. 
  

   In 
  order 
  to 
  reach 
  this, 
  one 
  has 
  to 
  recur 
  to 
  the 
  in- 
  

   dividual 
  fluctuability, 
  and 
  therefore 
  to 
  seed. 
  

  

  Nearly 
  half 
  a 
  century 
  ago, 
  Parris 
  discovered, 
  

   on 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  Barbados, 
  that 
  seeds 
  might 
  

   occasionally 
  be 
  gathered 
  from 
  the 
  canes. 
  These, 
  

   however, 
  yielded 
  only 
  grass-like 
  plants 
  of 
  no 
  

   real 
  value. 
  The 
  same 
  observation 
  was 
  made 
  

  

  