No. 4.] GAEDEN SEEDS. 55 



tains the very best individual plants of any, and we should 

 select for our breeders the plants whose seed uniformly de- 

 velop into plants of the true type with the fewest which show 

 variation. This preliminary test will often delay us a whole 

 season, but in my experience it is time profitably spent. The 

 seed from the selected plants may then be planted for the 

 production of seed. It is better that each lot be isolated, 

 though this is not always practical; but they can always be 

 planted by themselves, even if they have to be side by side. 

 This enables us to verify the preliminary test as to prepo- 

 tency, and to reject any lot which shows much variation. 

 From the lot which is most uniformly of the right type, the 

 original description in hand, select plants to start another 

 line of selection. It is much better to take all those select 

 plants from the best lot, rather than the best plants from all 

 the lots. After making the selection for further breeding the 

 lots can be gone over, and any plants, or even all those from 

 any parent plant, which are not of the desired type should 

 be rejected. In many cases the seed from the plants retained 

 will be sufficient for the planter's use ; if not, it can be sowed 

 collectively and used as stock seed for the production of the 

 required amount. It may be said that this plan of rigid 

 adherence to the original type blocks any improvement; it 

 certainly does, if improvement involves change of type. But 

 I will say again, and I promise you that this will be the last 

 time, that uniformity of type is the most important quality 

 determining profit, and that this is determined more by 

 heredity than by individual excellence. 



The Chair. Mr. Ross is one of our most extensive seed 

 dealers. We will be pleased to hear from him. 



Mr. Walter D. Ross (of Worcester). Mr. Tracy has 

 answered about all the questions that we could attempt to 

 ask; but there was one point that impressed me very much, 

 — about statements seed dealers make in regard to descrip- 

 tions. We would be only too glad, I think, — I say we, — 

 to state facts and give as nearly as w T e can the exact descrip- 

 tions, if the public would only follow T the advice Mr. Tracy 

 has given ; but, as a matter of fact, the public don't want us 



