IMPROVEMENT OF PLANTS. 



26? 



While the tendency of the plant to vary is so 

 essential in furnishing the starting-point for a 

 new variety, it is also the most difficult factor 

 to overcome in making that variety approach a 

 fixed type ; for out of a number of seeds from 

 ihe plant having the desired characters, only one 



IST YEAR 2oYtAR 3D YEAR 4THYEAR SrnYEAR 



SEUCT PLANT (1 



SELECT PLANT (1 



SELECT PLflNTM 



SCLECT PLANTf 1 



FIG. 88. DIAGRAM SHOWING METHOD OF SELECTING AND 

 IMPROVING SEED. 



may come true. In that case, seeds should be 

 used from that one plant only, and these planted 

 in an isolated place. Possibly the next genera- 

 tion may furnish several of the desired, plants, 

 and again seed must be selected only from 

 these. 



IVitJi selection, isolation, and cultivation con- 

 tinued for many generations, one may hope to 

 obtain seeds the majority of which will come 



