OBTAINING VARIATIONS 103 



familiar story of Darwin's Hero morning-glory, 

 which appeared suddenly after several genera- 

 tions of selection. 



When the seedlings which thus practically 

 select themselves have come to blooming time, 

 your delight will be enhanced as you discover 

 that the blossoms they bear are markedly larger 

 and more brilliant than any you have seen before. 



Now all your disappointment and discourage- 

 ment of the first day is forgotten. Now your 

 enthusiasm is reanimated and accentuated. 

 From this time forward you carry on the experi- 

 ment with renewed zeal, and you feel confident 

 at last that the coveted goal is well within sight. 



Plants That Tend to Vary 



Of course there are other plants that give 

 encouragement from the very outset. SucK is 

 the case with almost any of the familiar culti- 

 vated plants, of which there are many species 

 and varieties that have long been given attention 

 by the horticulturist. 



Suppose, for example, that you were to plant 

 all the seeds taken from the seed pods of a single 

 dahlia. Perhaps you have done this on occasion, 

 not with any thought of making new experi- 

 ments or developing a new variety, but merely 

 in the hope of reproducing the characteristics of 



