Variability in Garden Plants. 5 
I, pp. 77-80). Many white flowered varieties afford 
good examples of this kind of novelty. 
But it is very different with the second case. A nov- 
elty which exhibits fluctuating variability in a high de- 
gree seldom makes its first appearance in a full state of 
development. As a rule it is very slightly developed at 
first. The novelty is betrayed, as the expression is, by 
a quite small trace or indication. From the scientific 
standpoint we have to regard this as a minus-variant, 
i. e., as an extreme variant in the minus direction of the 
new character (Vol. I, p. 51). And it is plain that the 
seeds of such a variant of the new variety will, when 
sown in the garden, soon give the mean value of the 
character in question. 
This process is, as we can easily see, fundamentally 
a phenomenon of regression (Vol. I, Figs. 18 and 19, pp. 
73 and 84) ; but to the breeder it is a progressive change, 
and by no means an inconsiderable one, since on it the 
success of his operations largely depends. This apparent 
paradox, however, has been a great obstacle to the under- 
standing of these phenomena. But, to us, it explains in 
a very clear way the initial and rapid increase in varia- 
bility; for it is obvious that an approximation to the 
mean value will take place much more easily and rapidly 
than a departure from it. 
The breeder can now either rest content with this 
"regressive advance"; or he can endeavor to raise the 
new form above its mean value by choosing plus-variants 
as seed-parents. But in the latter case the value of the 
new form remains dependent on the continuance of se- 
lection (Vol. I, p. 80). 
Note's dealing with this process of breeding are not 
rare in horticultural literature, but they are generally 
