SELECTION FOR IMPROVEMENT. 39 



the descendants, and by selecting seed from plants that 

 produce it soonest or in largest amount, these qualities 

 may be perpetuated. By combining these points, select- 

 ing the all-round best variety, propagating from it and 

 discarding all those that do not approach the ideal, such 

 as shown in Fig. 13, the proportion of superior speci- 

 mens to inferior will gradually increase until the valua- 

 ble characteristics become fixed and a variety becomes 

 established. 



It is confidently believed that as great changes can 

 be wrought in the character of the ginseng plant as have 

 been brought about, for instance, in the carrot, which 

 in its wild state is a noxious weed. This change 

 would include, among other things, a reduction in time 

 between seeding and harvest, an increased proportion of 

 large to small roots obtained from any given quantity of 

 seed, and an improvement in the form, size and weight 

 of the specimens themselves. Further, a variety known 

 to possess valuable characters will always command a 

 higher price among planters, and the originator of such 

 a variety could thus be paid for his time and trouble. 

 In a plant of such slow growth as ginseng, a variety 

 that would take one-half the time to produce a market- 

 able root should be worth at least double the price of 

 ordinary seed or young plants for setting, and the same 

 should be true of the qualities of size, form, weight and 

 increased seed production, the superior variety always 

 commanding the higher price. 



It may be noted that large seed will usually germi- 

 nate in advance of small, produce more thrifty plants, 

 larger roots, and perhaps show flowers and seeds before 

 plants raised from smaller seed subjected to the same 

 conditions. This should also be looked after in the 

 selection of superior kinds. 



If, on the other hand, the method of selection rec- 

 ommended for market roots be practiced (as it generally 



