308 SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS 



results in a decrease in its antagonistic quality. However, 

 an occasional single plant may constitute an exception, 

 and combine, to a certain extent, these opposing qualities. 

 Such exceptional plants are exactly those that the plant- 

 breeder is seeking to evolve or to discover, and then to 

 perpetuate in their purity. 



Although certain pairs of desirable qualities are antago- 

 nistic, yet the cotton plant has many useful characters that 

 can readily be improved together without mutual injury. 



277. Breeding for a small number of qualities. The 

 most rapid improvement in any character is secured when 

 plants are selected for seed with chief reference to a very 

 small number of desirable qualities. For example, if an 

 increased size of boll is the only point aimed at, any given 

 field will contain more plants filling this requirement than 

 plants answering the needs of a man who wishes a combina- 

 tion in the same plant of three qualities, such as large 

 size of boll, small seed, and long lint. 



Therefore, it is wise to make one quality the leading one, 

 so that every plant selected shall possess this to a high 

 degree ; but there should also be in mind several secondary 

 qualities, which the selected plants should possess, to at 

 least a moderate degree. 



The important practical lesson from the above principle 

 is to continue selection year after year with the same chief 

 object in mind until that end is attained. Do not select 

 one year chiefly for size of boll and the next year mainly 

 for length of lint; but keep the same aim and desired 

 quality in mind from year to year. After this character 

 is fixed, it is time enough to take another one as the prin- 

 cipal object through another series of years. 



