70 LUTHER BURBANK 



startling geometrical ratio in proportion as the 

 number of qualities increase. 



The precise formula, as calculated by the 

 biometricians, runs something like this. In case 

 a single pair of qualities is in question say high 

 protein content versus low protein content in 

 corn the chances are, if the two strains are 

 crossed, that there will appear in the second 

 generation of their progeny one offspring in 

 four that closely resembles each parent. 



But when we are considering two qualities 

 say protein content and height of ear on the 

 stalk in combination, the chance that there will 

 be an individual of the offspring like each parent 

 in the progeny of the second generation, is only 

 one in 16. 



And when three qualities are in question the 

 ratio jumps to one in 64; with four qualities it 

 advances to one in 256 ; with five qualities, to one 

 in 1,026. When eight qualities are in question, 

 the chance of producing one offspring showing 

 precisely the combination of qualities of each 

 parent is only one in 98,496. 



And when we deal with ten qualities we 

 encounter the altogether disconcerting ratio of 

 one to 1,575,936! 



All of which makes it very clear that the wise 

 plant experimenter does not depend upon mere 



