FINAL SELECTION 



in the progeny of the second generation, is only 

 one in 16. 



And when three qualities are in question the 

 ratio jumps to one in 64; with four qualities it 

 advances to one in 256; with five qualities, to one 

 in 1026. When eight qualities are in question, 

 the chance of producing one offspring showing 

 precisely the combination of qualities of each 

 parent is only one in 98,496. 



And when we deal with ten qualities we 

 encounter the altogether disconcerting ratio of 

 one to 1,575,936! 



All of which makes it very clear that the wise 

 plant experimenter does not depend upon mere 

 chance to give him the combination of desired 

 qualities in the production of a new form of flower 

 or fruit. He must make his selection, in any 

 given generation, with reference to one or two 

 pre-eminently desirable qualities, and must be 

 content to accept for the moment such other 

 qualities, however undesirable, as are associated 

 with the desired ones. 



Multiple Selection 



For example, in developing a stoneless plum, 

 my earliest selections were made with an eye to 

 stonelessness alone. 



Then as I gradually developed a race of plums 

 in which I was certain of finding a fairly large 



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