The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-17

tcT All the money Il mas expended 70
GATE in agricultural experiments.
In a paper read By George Fee. garden
sr. before meeting OF a gardeners as
scciation 81 Exeter. England. last spring.
he said that nothing in scientific aSricnI-
ture had attracted more attention IN
the world in the last ten years than the
raising OF new breeds OF wheat In Amer
ioa and other wheat-growing countries.
Il had been demonstrated that these new
wheSts would increase the present yield
in the regions TO which these particular
wheats were adapted by four bushels
per acre. II that could be accomplished
in the United States alone. 1t would add
over 80. ooo00 bushels per year. worth
al lew valuation about slfoccoeo.
Mr.. Hopkins OF Illinois has shown that
quality OF the Indian corn can be greatly
improved by breeding it for larger per
centage OF protein and oil. its most vslu-
able constituents. Hugo de Vries Of Hoi-
land ha scarried common red clover
through a process OF breeding which
has resulted IN increasing the leaflets
from three UP 10 I'VE. and even up to
eight IN some instances. Carton Brothers
OF England have hyoridized various spec
les OF forage grasses. and made species
new 10 science. and their work with oats.
ard other crops Is equally remarkable
Wonderful results OF liberalization have
been produced by Luther Burbank the
horticultural scientist Of Santa Rost, Cal.
whose name is mentioned wherever plant
breeding is written or spoken OF. and who
* Eu0u-- - - -
ture." Born in Lancaster. Mass. In IS4s.
he was trained as mschinist. and while
still boy developed valuable improve
ment in the machinery or the factory IN
which he was employed. His bent towards
horticulture was so strong. however that
he soon abandoned mechanics for the
plant and seed business. IN this line his
first notable success was quickly achieved
By the production OF the Burbank potato.
which was developed, by selection. from
one OF twenty three seeds found IN a
patch OF Early Rose potatoes which he
had planted Though doing well where
he was. he became convinced that Cali
fornia would afford him much better op-
portunities for horticultural Investigation.
and he removed IN 1875 to Santa Rosa
where he has since devoted himself 70
his remarkably successful experiments in
piant-breding On fifteen acres OF land
he breeds fruits and flowers BY thousands
continually producing new varieties. BY
crossing and recrossing innumerabie seed
lings. so as TO have large numbers 70
select from. he has introduced great
many new pIun.s. most or which arc
errn -
One Of these is the well-kncwn plum
which is called by his own name. He Is
now breeding a stoneless prune. having
already succeeded in eliminating the pit.
so that only the kernel OF the stone re-
mains. His giant prune is nearly three
times as large as the parent. and he has
introduced several kinds OF blackberry
raspberry hybrids the berries OF which
are more than twice the size OF either
OF the parent fruits.
BY crossing the apricot with the plum.
Mr.. Burbank has produced new fruit
called the plum-cot. The appearance Of
the fruit and foliage Of the former are
said to combine in remarkable degree
the characteristics Of both it's parents. BY
hybridizing the black walnut and the En-
glish walnut. Mr.. Burbank has created
new species with nuts very much
larger and more valuable than those OF
either parent. and more rapid growing
tree. Another remarkable achievement
of his was the production OF a white
blackberry.
All sorts OF surprising things occur In
plant breeding. as u T. impossible 20 fore
however scientifically and systematically
planned. Prof Byron .. Halstesd OF
Rutgers College. as the result OF expert
ments In testing the susceptibility OF GER
tain grains TO different diseases. incident
ally produced ears Of corn bearing an
even mixture OF white. black and rose
colored grains. theze being the hybrid on
spring OF a white and a black breed Of
sugsr-corn.
The economic value OF plant-breedsng
Illustrated In many different ways In
agriculture one OF the notable advantages
Of liberalization IL the fact that tender
plants may be made more resistant 70
cold b. crossing them with hardy sDeciez
Highly bred cultivated plants arr especi-
al liable 20 disease. but D. selection or
this tendency can often be
overcome. FOR instance. the cow-poa
which Is valuable for ploughing under
A green crop. 70 increase the nitrogen
In the soil suddenly developed a disease
which threatened Il with practical ex-
tinction. Herbert J. Weber. ~ho is n
charge OF the plant-brecdiaE Of The United
5tstes Department OF Agriculture hives
tlgated the matter and found a certain
group 81 cow-p~zs which were not az
fectet BY the disease. With this a. a
ossis. ne developed. By the process u
selection. . variety which Il perfectly
healthy.
Up 70 Few years ago. II II ssiJ. no
one had ever seen the ripe secds %
he suKar-csne-pcrhaDs because no ore
had looked Tor thsn--ana propa "a ton !
made from cuttings alone. - that
there was a comparatively limited range
y variations Now. secdlinEz are 70 -
raised. and some u these prove 70 BE- - /
much richer n sugar thar others fha;
heir cultivation may make al the sirsr- l
snce between profit and Ioss
De WET AND The scOTcH