DEVELOPING CHARACTERS 193 



Some may exhibit a tendency toward double- 

 ness which gives rise to the thought that the 

 new daisy, if desirable, might be made as double 

 as our roses and carnations; in fact, this has al- 

 ready been done. 



In other variation it might be noted that some 

 are pink, yellow, or intermediate colors, while 

 others may show deep red or purple streaks on 

 the backs of their rays. From these it might 

 reasonably be expected to produce a daisy hav- 

 ing one color within and another color without. 



From the bed of seedlings with no two daisies 

 exactly alike, there might be prepared a list of a 

 thousand different tendencies, each susceptible 

 of cultivation, each the possible starting point of 

 some new transformation. 



It is only when the life history of a plant, with 

 all of its divergent tendencies, is uncovered in 

 some such way as this, that the plant architect 

 can see the full possibilities of further improve- 

 ment. 



The daisy which we use especially for the pur- 

 pose of illustrating this chapter may, or may not, 

 be a desirable production — it may or may not re- 

 pay the thought and effort which it cost — but it 

 shows the simplest method which the plant archi- 

 tect has within his reach — a method which, ap- 

 plied in the same way toward the accomplishment 



Vol. 1— Bur. O 



