FINAL SELECTION 57 



I may recall by way of illustration an experi- 

 ence in which my selective judgment was put to 

 a practical test no different a test, to be sure, 

 from thousands that I myself have made, but 

 having added interest because it was made by 

 another. 



It chanced that a well known judge, who is 

 also a horticultural enthusiast, and who had been 

 very much interested in my work, was visiting at 

 a time when I was sorting out plum trees from 

 among a lot of several thousand seedlings about 

 a foot high. I had a man placing armfuls before 

 me an^ carrying them away as fast as selected. 

 They were thrown in three piles, the first con- 

 taining those I had declared to be the best ones 

 for continuing the test; the second pile contain- 

 ing those I thought possibly worth trying; and 

 the third pile those that seemed to me no good 

 at all. 



The judge watched me for a few minutes and 

 then said: "You are picking them altogether too 

 fast. You cannot possibly tell like that which 

 are good and which are not." 



I replied: "Wait and see, or test the matter 

 for yourself if you wish." 



"Very well," said my visitor, "I will do so." 



And therewith he took a few seedlings from 

 each of the piles for the test. 



