LUTHER BURBANK 



So in such a case as that of the balloon-flower, 

 where it is desired to increase three or four quite 

 different qualities in this case size, beauty of 

 form, manner of placement of blossoms, and in- 

 tensity and clearness of color it does not so very 

 greatly matter whether in the early generations 

 one finds the different qualities combined in a 

 single individual, or whether, as is more likely, 

 he finds one individual that is most graceful, 

 another that has blossoms placed on the stalk in 

 the best manner, and a third that shows to best 

 advantage as to intensity and clearness of color. 



It is much more probable, in practice, that the 

 second alternative will be the one actually pre- 

 sented. Indeed, it is altogether unlikely, when new 

 qualities, such as these, that have not hitherto at- 

 tracted the attention of the cultivator of the plant, 

 are in question, that one will find a single individ- 

 ual that surpasses all its fellows as to each quality. 



In point of fact, with the balloon-flowers, it 

 was necessary to save seed of three or four indi- 

 viduals and search among their progeny in turn 

 in the following season, and make additional 

 selections that involved a number of individuals. 



But when selection has been carried to a stage 

 where we have one race of balloon-flowers pre- 

 senting plants that are uniformly of graceful and 

 attractive form, and another race that has the 



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