INEDIBLE FRUITS 377 



indicates to the plant breeder that they have in- 

 herent possibilities of improvement. In the 

 course of this work I have imported other species 

 of barberries from South America, British 

 Columbia, Asia, Europe, and northern Africa. 



Some of these have proved of value, but the 

 most important advance has been made by the 

 progeny of the common barberry. 



During the course of the twenty-five years of 

 experience with this plant, I have been able by 

 persistent selection to facilitate the development 

 of a fruit much larger than that of the parent 

 form, far better flavored, and with a greatly re- 

 duced proportion of seed. The fruit has not 

 changed very markedly in appearance, but is 

 produced much more abundantly. 



It has all along been noticed that when seeds 

 are planted there is a marked tendency on the 

 part of most of the progeny to revert toward the 

 wild state rather than to go forward, according 

 to man's interpretation of progress. So it is only 

 the exceptional plant that can be saved with any 

 prospect of producing unusually valuable fruit. 

 Nevertheless, as already noted, there has been 

 marked progress and it is always to be remem- 

 bered that such progress tends to be cumulative 

 and that there may come a time when the plant 

 may vary suddenly and give opportunity for 



