ELEMENTS OF A WISE CHOK E 459 



greatest efforl should be made to preserve or to 

 intensify those desirable attributes which are charac- 

 teristics of the wild species. Snch attributes are 

 likely to be more virile and permanenl than Bimilar 

 ones which originate under domestication, because they 

 have been impressed upon the Bpecies for a Longer 

 period of time. The intending plant-breeder ••an Bave 

 himself much time and strength by throwing his 

 efforts into line with the direction of evolution of 

 the species rather than against it. Ee cannot afford 

 even t<» l»<- indifferent to the natural capabilities of 

 the type. V>>r example, other things being equal, the 

 domesticator will generally have better results in breed- 

 ing plants for a dry region by selecting those types 

 which naturally grow in such regions. The adapting 

 of the grape t<i Limestone soils can do doubt be 

 quicker accomplished by endeavoring to breed up 

 acceptable varieties from VitU Berlandieri, which 

 thrives in these lands, than by attempting t<> over- 

 come the pronounced antipathies of the Vitis Ldbrusca 

 types to such Boils. The ftrsl attempt, in impressing 

 new fruit-species int<. cultivation, Bhould be to Becure 

 a type which will thrive in the given region ; the pro- 

 duction of ameliorated varieties is a secondary and 

 usually much simpler matter. The ftrsl consideration 



in hi ding plums t'<»r tin- drj plains regions, for 



example, is to Becure a type which will endure the 

 climate, — the long droughts, the Bevere winters, the 

 hot Bummers. This fundamental desideratum may be 

 expected to be found in the indigenous plums, rather 

 than in the domesticated types. This is Baying that 

 one of the moal promising Lines of efforl in tin- im- 

 provement of the oative Emits is to work with the 



