No. 98.] 79 
Should this correllation be found a true one, then in formulating its 
relations we have offered to us a means for securing a more certain ad- 
vance in the development of improved food quality in our fruits and 
vegetables. If there is a diminution of size of seed found correllating 
with the hardness of head and tenderness of quality in cabbage, then 
by selection of small seed from the hybridized blooms for the new at- 
tempt we have more chances in favor of a successful outcome than if 
we worked after a more haphazard manner. If improvement in head- 
ing quality is correllated with a smallness of seed production then we 
have opportunity to improve through the selection of seed from plants 
of the least seed fertility. If in lettuce this relation is found to exist, 
then we have a means worthy of trial offered to our attempts to form 
lettuce of greater cabbaging head and superior tenderness. ‘Thus, in 
fruit, if this rélation is accurately determined, then we may hope, 
through selection of individual seed based on this knowledge, to secure 
a far larger percentage of success than if our attempt was guided by a 
no real order, but by imaginary reasoning. Indeed, as far as we have 
investigated, it seems quite possible that the successful formation of 
new varieties through hybridization is to be accounted for in a large 
measure by certain correlations, as hybridized seed is often inferior in 
appearance to seed from the parent species. 
Our own studies in this direction, previous to our connection with 
the Station, gave origin to the following reasoning: In animals we 
find castration productive of tenderness of flesh and increased growth ; 
that is, the period of immaturity with its corresponding succulence of 
tissue is prolonged throughout life. The animal grows old, but the 
growing old is not accompanied by that hardening and condensation 
of tissue which is peculiar to the species. In plants we note cases where 
the same rule seems to hold good. ‘The banana, a seedless fruit of great 
lusciousness : occasionally seeding and the fruit then dry and inedible. 
The wild grape with a hard pulp and large seeds; our improved 
varieties with small seed and softened pulp ; the seedless varieties usually 
described as of tender quality and delicious flavor, 
In nature, as a general occurrence, with many exceptions, the plant 
depends upon its seed for the perpetuation of its species, and asa useful 
part of the plant the seed has a tendency to constantly appear, but 
under the law of natural selection we have also as an antithesis that 
useless parts have a tendency to disappear; hence as a seed loses its 
importance it is apt to lose its functions and identity, and art encour- 
ages development of a fruit in a manner counter to the best interests 
of the seed, and often encourages tenderness of quality of parts in 
species which in nature might be far better served by hardness, As 
castration produces tenderness, so as an antithesis tenderness would 
imply a counter effect upon the seed, approaching in its character the 
.total deprivation which we call castration. 
In order to follow out this line of thought experimentally, the Station 
staff in off moments have weighed, counted, measured and classified 
results as expressed in the following table. 
