FIXING GOOD TRAITS 9 



the interests of experimentation, or in the at- 

 tempt to develop still better varieties. 



One might plant a thousand acres with seeds 

 of the Baldwin apple, without perhaps producing 

 a single plant that would precisely duplicate the 

 qualities of the fruit from which the seeds were 

 taken. And the same thing is true in greater or 

 less measure of the majority not merely of or- 

 chard fruits but of most other cultivated plants. 



The notable exceptions are annual plants that 

 are habitually grown from seed, such as melons 

 and peas in the garden, and the great tribe of 

 cereals represented by wheat, oats, rye, and 

 barley. The reason why all of these breed fairly 

 true from seed is that they are necessarily prop- 

 agated in this way alone, and it has been essen- 

 tial that fixed races should be developed. 



Mankind depends largely upon the cereals for 

 food, and his existence would be altogether pre- 

 carious could he not have reasonable assurance 

 that when he sows grain of a certain kind and 

 quality he will secure a crop of grain of similar 

 quality. 



The fixity of character of the cereals and vari- 

 ous other plants, including peas and beans, is 

 enhanced and assured by the fact that the flowers 

 of these plants are habitually self-fertilized. If 

 you examine a head of wheat at the right stage, 



