A field trial was established in Campinas in order to study plant height, yielding capacity, and bean characteristics of S1, progenies, F1, hybrids, and advanced generations of hybrids between selected plants of C. arabica cultivars planted at one or four seedlings per hill. Yield was higher and the coefficient of variation was lower at four plants per hill planting The highest total yields, in both planting modalites were observed among mundo novo progenies. Hybrids between selected mundo novo plants or between burbom amarelo plants had similar average yield as the S1, progenies of these cultivars, wheres, intermediate yield was observed for mundo novo x burbom vermelho hybrids. The performance of the best progenies or hybrids does not depend on the planting system. Consequently for breeding purposes the planting system will depend on the method of selection to be adopted. In cases of population selection four plants per hill will allow a more reliable selection of the best progenies or populations. It was also noted that early selection could be carried out efficiently after only two or four consecutive yields. Flat bean percentage revealed to be higher while peaberry and elephant beans percentages were lower when four seedlings were planted per hill. Bean size, however, seems, not to be affected by the planting method.