Increase in Variability in One Direction. 11 



sequence of events may have the appearance of having 

 been gradually brought about by the free will of the ex- 

 perimenter; whereas as a matter of fact the result was 

 attained mainly by good luck. 



If we look through the literature of horticulture we 

 shall soon see that this illusion has not taken in the really 

 efficient breeder. He knows perfectly well that neither 

 the beginning nor the end of such an experiment is under 

 his control. It is only between these two limits that 

 everything depends on his skill. 



The first indication of an anomaly in a pure species 

 appears by chance; and it is a well-known rule in horti- 

 culture that the breeder should always be on the lookout 

 for such chance occurrences. It does not matter how 

 small the deviation is so long as it is an anomaly (p. 4). 

 When such a deviation has once been found it lies with 

 the breeder to perfect it and bring it to its full develop- 

 ment. But the ever present, more or less considerable, 

 fluctuating variations of normal characters are of no use 

 for this purpose ; by their means many varieties may be 

 made better and prettier, but they can give rise to nothing 

 really new. 



The best horticultural authorities are in agreement 

 on this point. Carriere for example says : ''Lliorticul- 

 teur ne pent faire naitre les varietes/' and in greater de- 

 tail in reference to double flowers : "Le point de depart 

 des fleitrs doubles est en dehors de notre puissance conime 

 de nos calcnls; nous ne poiivons rien, on a pen pres rien, 

 sur le fait initiatif; nous ne pouvons que le saisir lorsquil 

 se presente; nous ne pouvons pas le provoqiier; c'est tin 

 effet, dont la cause nous est inconnue.^^^ A well-known 



^ E. A. Carriere, Production cf fixation dcs varictcs dans les 

 vegetaux, 1865, p. 64 and p. 15. 



