SELECTIVE EVOLUTION 219 



sive than that of the daisy, will serve to give a 

 clearer idea of their kind : 



Let us take, then, as a specimen, the methods 

 employed in the production of a new cherry. 



First, as with the daisy, there must be an ideal 

 some particular kind of cherry of which we 

 have made a mental blue print. Let us say 

 that our blue print calls for a large, sweet 

 cherry, which will ripen early and bear long 

 taking into account that appearance is a great 

 factor. 



The first step would be to gather in our ele- 

 ments; to pick out a large, beautiful cherry 

 which, after the manner of many large, beauti- 

 ful fruits, may be more or less insipid in 

 taste; then to select another cherry, size and 

 appearance inconsequential, which has the de- 

 lightful flavor our plans and specifications 

 call for. 



Let us take not one of each of these types, but 

 a number of them, and then when they have 

 bloomed, let us, by hand, cross them back and 

 forth, making in all, we will say, five hundred 

 crosses; each tied with a certain color of string 

 for the purpose of later identification. 



The petals of the blossoms which we have 

 crossed will fall away; long stems bearing green 

 cherries will begin to take their place; and 



