K. Pearson to F. Galton, 6th Sept. 1898.- External URL
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Sent From (Definite): Karl PearsonSent To (Definite): Sir Francis GaltonDate: 6 Sep 1898
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Holder (Definite): University College London: Special Collections
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Sent fromKarl Pearson
6 Sep 1898
Description:
‘My dear Mr Galton,
Many thanks for your letter which reached me this morning. I am very glad my letter to Nature did not vex you. I think many of the problems as to what you term “sports” will be elucidated when we have multiple selection a little more fully developed. If we selected from a normal surface of n characters or organs, speed only, we should certainly get a weedy result, because the maximum speed does not coincide with maximum of constitutional strength, on which the preservation of the breed may depend. But when we select by two or more characters, say speed & constitution, we are selecting what may be a very infrequent, but still a perfectly normal variation, and I hesitate to call it a sport. I a [sic] n. character correlation surface, a selection of p. characters with arbitrary values differing from the modal values can only be very infrequent, and may have the appearance of a ‘sport,’ but that is only because the total number of thoroughbreds is really so limited.
It will be a great achievement if you can get the breeders to take up photography. Once [you?] get, say 1000, horses done and [sic] the interrelations which can be worked out will be splendid. I think I told you I had got over the difficulty as to fertility in man, and that the results show fertility to be a highly inherited character. Fecundity in thoroughbreds is also inherited and we are now investigating whether it is inherited through the male as well as female line. One point I have come across which bears on your point, the average fecundity of the mares due to some of the most famous sires as measured by their racing record is remarkably low, and the result is that some of the most famous early stocks are really almost exhausted today. Choice of a breed through speed has failed owing to reproductive selection. If later you could spare me a second copy of your paper, I should be very glad of it. Possibly you are sending it pretty generally to breeders? Could not Messrs Weatherly be induced to send out a copy with each number of the next issue – I think it comes this year or next – of the new studbook?
Yours very sincerely,
Karl Pearson.’
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Sent toSir Francis Galton
6 Sep 1898
Description:
‘My dear Mr Galton,
Many thanks for your letter which reached me this morning. I am very glad my letter to Nature did not vex you. I think many of the problems as to what you term “sports” will be elucidated when we have multiple selection a little more fully developed. If we selected from a normal surface of n characters or organs, speed only, we should certainly get a weedy result, because the maximum speed does not coincide with maximum of constitutional strength, on which the preservation of the breed may depend. But when we select by two or more characters, say speed & constitution, we are selecting what may be a very infrequent, but still a perfectly normal variation, and I hesitate to call it a sport. I a [sic] n. character correlation surface, a selection of p. characters with arbitrary values differing from the modal values can only be very infrequent, and may have the appearance of a ‘sport,’ but that is only because the total number of thoroughbreds is really so limited.
It will be a great achievement if you can get the breeders to take up photography. Once [you?] get, say 1000, horses done and [sic] the interrelations which can be worked out will be splendid. I think I told you I had got over the difficulty as to fertility in man, and that the results show fertility to be a highly inherited character. Fecundity in thoroughbreds is also inherited and we are now investigating whether it is inherited through the male as well as female line. One point I have come across which bears on your point, the average fecundity of the mares due to some of the most famous sires as measured by their racing record is remarkably low, and the result is that some of the most famous early stocks are really almost exhausted today. Choice of a breed through speed has failed owing to reproductive selection. If later you could spare me a second copy of your paper, I should be very glad of it. Possibly you are sending it pretty generally to breeders? Could not Messrs Weatherly be induced to send out a copy with each number of the next issue – I think it comes this year or next – of the new studbook?
Yours very sincerely,
Karl Pearson.’
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