THE PLANT 65 



secure seed from as we wish to produce another year. If we 

 wait until the seed is separated from the plant that produced 

 it before we select our cotton seed, we shall be planting seed 

 from poor as well as good plants, and must be content with a 

 crop of just such stock as we have planted. By selecting 

 seed from the most productive plants in the field, and by 

 repeating the selection each year, you can continually improve 

 the breed of the plant you are raising. In applying this to 

 cotton you may follow the plan suggested for wheat below. 



FIG. 51. Two VARIETIES OF FLAX FROM ONE PARENT STOCK 

 After original in " Year Book," United States Department of Agriculture 



The difference that you see between the wild and cul- 

 tivated chrysanthemums and the samples of asparagus 

 shown in Figs. 49 and 50 was brought about by just such 

 continuous seed selection. 



By the careful selection of seed from the longest flax 

 plants, the increase in length shown in the accompanying 

 figure was attained. The selection of seed from those plants 

 bearing the most seed, but regardless of the height of the 

 plant, has produced flax like that to the right in the illus- 

 tration. These two kinds of flax are from the same parent 



