Abstract
Introduction Statistical methods are now available to estimate heritability of a plant character, general and specific combining ability of inbred lines, and to partition the total variance of a character into conlponents due to environn~ent and to various genetic effects. These estimates are -of value in forn~ulating breeding methods. Estimated genotypic correlations can also be successfully used in practical plant breeding. Such correlation coefficients provide information by themselves (Miller e t nl., 1958) and should be helpful to thc breeder since they are based on transmissible genetic variances (Jerome et nl., 1956). Genotypic correlations among characters become of practical importance a~llen the economic evaluation of a crop depends upon a small number of traits (Robinson e t nl., 1954). This is especially true of tobacco xvl~ere improvement in yield must be accompanied by desirable quality. Matzinger et nl. (1960) found a negative genetic correlation of -54 between yield and nicotine in flue-cured tobacco. In the same type, Patel (1959) reported that plant height nlas highly correlated with yield and appeared to be a superior criterion than flowering time or leaf number. White and Matzinper (1960) showed that correlation Y ~
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