ORIGIN AND IMPROVEMENT OF FRUIT 319 



Table LXXXIX— Con/inue(Z 

 New Hampshire ^ 



It will be seen from this table that there are conspicuous 

 differences in yield of seperate trees or sets of trees in the 

 same orchard. The time covered by these records is sufficient 

 to eliminate short-time differences. Such variations in yield 

 have an important economic bearing and some of the out- 

 standing instances of attempts to improve fruits by bud- 

 selection may be noted. 



284. Results of selecting bud variations. — If the data 

 are granted to prove that decided variations occur between 

 trees and their branches and that they are consistent year 

 after year, then the question arises as to whether such varia- 

 tions are permanent in nature (mutants) or whether they are 

 due to some undetermined local condition (fluctuating varia- 

 tions) and hence are not transmissible by asexual propaga- 

 tion. Unfortunately, sufficient work has not yet been done 

 to establish this point definitely, but most of the evidence 

 for deciduous fruit-trees warrants the conclusion that such 

 variations cannot usually be propagated (asexually) and 

 hence the burden of proof lies with those who make such 



1 Gourley, J. H. N. H. Agr. Exp. Sta. Tech. BuU. 9. 1915. See also 

 Gardner, V. R. Bud selection with special reference to the apple and 

 strawberry. Mo. Agr. Exp. Sta. Res. Bull. 39. 1920. 



