22 LUTHER BUKBANK 



The truth is that it would be possible to fix the 

 type of almost any variety of plant, provided time 

 enough and patience enough were devoted to the 

 task, and the experiment were conducted on a 

 wide enough scale. Indeed, nothing more would 

 be necessary than to continue for an additional 

 number of generations the same line of experi- 

 mentation through which the new varieties were 

 produced ; attending carefully at all stages to the 

 analysis of the different qualities that prove to be 

 mutually antagonistic. 



To this end, the new terminology which en- 

 deavors to analyze the qualities of a given plant 

 into complementary pairs of unit characters may 

 prove very helpful, particularly to the inexperi- 

 enced investigator. 



Such an analysis has always been made, tacitly 

 at any rate, by the successful plant experimenter. 

 No one can think of the development of an early- 

 fruiting cherry or prune without having in mind 

 the quality of Zafe-fruiting. To speak of a prune 

 with high sugar content implies one with low 

 sugar content. 



In a word, the desired quality of fruit or flower 

 at which one aims is always balanced against the 

 opposing quality sweet fruit against sour, hard- 

 iness against tenderness, resistance to disease 

 against susceptibility to disease, profuse bearing 



