THE BURBANK CHERRY 125 



of unit characters may be juggled in an almost 

 infinite variety of ways. 



We are seeking, for example, (1) an early- 

 bearing cherry of (2) good size, (3) fine 

 color, (4) sweet taste, and (5) good keeping 

 quality. 



Suppose, for the sake of argument, we con- 

 sider each of these to constitute, as contrasted 

 with the opposite condition, one member of a 

 pair of unit characters. 



Then it appears that, according to the theory 

 of chances which underlies the interpretation of 

 the Mendelian formula, the probability that any 

 given combination of these five qualities will 

 appear in an individual specimen of the progeny 

 of the hybrid generation is only one in about five 

 hundred. 



We shall have early bearers that are of good 

 size and taste, but lack shipping quality; other 

 early bearers that are good shippers but lack 

 size or quality; yet other specimens that have 

 size and taste and shipping quality, but lack the 

 quality of early bearing; and so on throughout 

 all the possible combinations of five pairs of 

 qualities. 



But the combination of all the desired char- 

 acters in a single individual will take place very 

 rarely indeed. 



