  The general theory of the branching processes is used for establishing the
relation between the parameters $k$ and $\bar n$ of the negative binomial
distribution. This relation gives the possibility to describe the overall data
on multiplicity distributions in $pp (p\bar p)$-collisions for energies up to
900 GeV and to make several interesting predictions for higher energies. This
general approach is free from ambiguities associated with the extrapolation of
the parameter $k$ to unity.
