Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-01-20
TO MAKE GOOD SEEDS.
SECRETARY WILSON DISCUSSES THE
CROSS FERTILIZATION.

Report That a Way Has Been Found to
Grow in England Varieties of Wheat
That DO Not Thrive There Now-Exper-
iments in the United states.
'It is not new, at least to us, but
hope they have really accomplished
all that the story sets forth, " said Sec
retary of Agriculture Wilson after
reading an account published III the
London Daily Mail, of what was de.
scribed as discovery of the highest
importance, made on the experimental
farm of the Earl of Winchelsea at
Sleaford.
The alleged discovery was that the
principle of sterilization could
be applied to cereals, grasses, clovers,
and all other forms of agricultural
food plants. The most interesting
statement next to the claim for discov.
cry was that the Messrs. Carton,
who conducted the experiments, said
their discovery would enable England
to take the lead in supplying the world
with new varieties, and that it would
be posaiple to grow the varieties of
wheat in England which now are i'm
ported for special qualities not hither-
to attainable in English grown varie.
ties.
1.-The principle of cross-fertiliza-
tion," added Secretary Wilson, lis
not a new discovery. 1t has been un-
derstood for years, but not until re-
cent years have experiments been
made to get something out of the prin.
ciple in agriculture. j see the Daily
Mail says the United States has been
moving in the direction followed at
the farm of the Earl of Winchelsea
We have. For years the experiments
have been carried on at the experiment
stations. chiefly with reference to the
needs of each station.
Scientific agriculturists know well
that it is as practicable to improve the
qualities of wheat and grasses as it is
to improve horses and sheep. L dc
not think it has been claimed by any
Of our eXperimenters that they have
succeeded in getting new varieties OF
wheat that will displace other varie.
ties. More attention has been given,
[ believe, to securing better cereals
by selection of heads of wheat and
other grains, as they develop in fields,
or varieties found to be suited to Ger.
tain soils and climates.
1T was some years ago that in my
own state of Iowa experiments in
crossfertilization brought us new
rose. We had the old-fashioned wild
rose with half dozen petals, but
with abundance of fragrance and fol;
age. By crossing this wild rose with
a Japan rose, we got flower of some
one hundred petals, fine, fragrant
thing, with the hardy quality of the
wild rose, its rich foliage, and great
increase in the number of its petals.
ITO jump at the conclusion that the
experiments at Earl Winchelsea's farm
are conclusive and the beginning of 8
commercial success seems to me un
safe. 1t takes some time to reach
conclusions in such matters. There
are circumstances to be accounted for;
the seeds may bring plants that show
reversion. But there is no doubt that
If new seeds are needed, and expert.
ments are directed to their production,
they may be obtained.
E. w. Allen of the experiment sta.
tion service said the greatest improve
ment in seeds in this country was OBJ
tanned by selection from the best fields
growers favoring those specimens
that promised the heaviest yield pei
acre with the retention of other desir.
able qualities in the wheat Expert
ments had been conducted mt some of
the stations with reference to improy.
ing the value of corn as food. 1t
was desirable to impart greater pro
portion of nitrogen to corn. The eX.
periments had been carried on with the
expectation of discovering how to get
the nitrogen into the soil and then
into the corn itself. Some success
had attended the experiments.
"Other experiments, said Mr.
Allen, ''inyolving Il recognition of the
principle of cross-fertilization have
been made to reduce the proportion OF
cob to corn. The seed growers are
never weary of persisting in these ex.
periments. The man who succeeds in
finding a way of producing corn that
will have the least possible cob will
discover Klondike in agriculture. A
good deal of attention has been de,
voted to experimentation to ascertain
the wheat best suited to smut resist
ance. Smut is one of the troubles OF
the farmer. If science can add q
chemical or other quality to wheat that
will make it reasonably immune from
smut without losing any good quail
ties already possessed, it will have met
a long-felt want. New York Times.
To Detect Tempered Papers.
Professor Bruylants of the Univer.