FINAL SELECTION 71 



chance to give him the combination of desired 

 qualities in the production of a new form of 

 flower or fruit. He must make his selection, in 

 any given generation, with reference to one or 

 two preeminently desirable qualities, and must 

 be content to accept for the moment such other 

 qualities, however undesirable, as are associated 

 with the desired ones. 



MULTIPLE SELECTION 



For example, in developing a stoneless plum, 

 my earliest selections were made with an eye to 

 stonelessness alone. 



Then as I gradually developed a race of plums 

 in which I was certain of finding a fair propor- 

 tion of individuals growing stoneless fruit, I 

 could select among these the ones that combined 

 with stonelessness the largest proportion of other 

 good qualities, such as size, flavor, and abundant 

 bearing. 



When presently I had, through selection, de- 

 veloped a somewhat fixed strain that combined 

 the qualities of stonelessness with fair size and 

 good flavor, I could then select among the many 

 individuals showing these qualities the particular 

 ones that showed them in fullest measure; and 

 at the same time I could now have in mind one 

 or two other qualities say color of fruit and 



