148 
ture of the original tree than you could 
effect a change in the limb of the origi- 
nal tree which you have not detached. 
If it were possible to effect such change 
all nature would be in a chaotic con- 
dition.” 
If, however, bud variations do occur 
these varieties may be continued and ex- 
tended by budding from the variant 
stock. 
The Breeder’s Analogy 
Another prolific source of misconcep- 
tion arises out of the use of analogy 
from the breeder’s experience and apply- 
ing it to the propagation of trees by buds 
and grafts. A brief statement of the 
breeder’s problems is all that can be given 
here, but enough to indicate that the 
two methods of propagation are not 
analogous. 
New Laws of Breeding 
(9) The work of Gregor Johann Men- 
del established the fact that some of the 
characters, of both plants and animals, 
are inherited unchanged, passing down 
through each subsequent generation. 
Many of them may be hidden in the first 
generation of progeny and in a fraction of 
the descendants of each subsequent gen- 
eration by the “dominance” of stronger, 
opposed, or differing, characteristics of 
the same group. But both the “dominant” 
and the “recessive” (weaker or hidden) 
character of a Mendelian pair reappear 
in pure form in part of each generation 
after the first; so that the descendants 
of two parents, both showing the same 
one of these pure characters, will always 
be like their parents in respect to this 
character. 
Now, the problem of the breeder is to 
ascertain what characters follow this law 
—for not all do—and to secure the ones 
desired in pure form and in suitable com- 
binations. When once secured as desired 
in two parents, the descendants may be 
depended on to show the same characters 
and not to “revert” to some form not 
wanted. But, even simplified as it is, the 
problem is still very complex: for the 
features or characteristics we think of 
as separating one plant or animal from 
(9) Geneva Bull. 350, Popular Edition. 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
another may each be made up of two or 
more heritable characters, and the Dos- 
sible combination, in any individual, of 
these varied “unit characters” are ex. 
ceedingly mumerous and varied. Aj 
these variations must be secured and 
checked by growing multitudes of seeq- 
lings, of at least two generations, before 
we can be positive of our ground on more 
than a few caaracters. 
In the case of the bud or scion you 
are not dealing with “inheritance” at all, 
but with a single individual which you 
wish to multiply in such a way as to 
preserve the qualities which it now pos 
sesses. Stability then, so far as those 
qualities are concerned, is what is wanted 
and not variation. 
For the benefit of those who may wish 
to make a further study of the problem 
the following references are appended: 
References 
1900-—-Hitchcock, A. 8, Plant Breeding 
Bud Selection (Amer. Gard 21 
[1900] No. 266, P. 57 ) 
1902—Kellog, R. M., Bud Variation in 
Strawberry Plant (Internat. Con- 
ference Plt. Breeding and Hibridiza- 
tion, N. Y., Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 1902), 
1902—Powell, G. T. Value of Improved 
Methods in Propagation of Fruit 
Trees. (N. J. Hort. So. 27 [1902] 
P. 125-85. Fig. 2.) 
1902—Corbett, L. C. Improvement of 
Roses by Bud Selection. (Internat. 
Conference on Plt. Breeding, N. Y,, 
1902.) 
1904—Jordan, A. T. Improving Fruits by 
Bud Selection. (American Agr. 74 
[1904], No. 9, P. 160.) 
1905—Blackwell, O. W. Bud Variation, 
Facts That Prove Its Occurrence. 
(Country Gent. 70 [1905], No. 2717, 
P. 197.) 
1905—Macoun, W. T. Individuality of 
Fruits. (Rep. Can. Exp. Farms, 
1905, P. 105-6.) 
1905—Symposium, Apple Scions from 
Bearing Trees. Influence of Stock. 
(Rural New Yorker, 64 [1905], No. 
2907, P. 741.) 
