The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-17
HON PLANTS
ARE CHANGED
Greai Progress in the Breed
ing of Grains and Flower.
EARLY PREJUDICE ABOUT IT
Believe That 1t Was Impious
EARLY PREJUDICE ABOUTlT
Believe That 1t Was Impious
Interference With Native.

people in general, viii be prominently
brought before the public next autumn
by the holding in New York OF an Inter
national Conference on Plant Breeding
and LIBERALIZATION. Announcement of the
meeting is made by the Council of the
Horticultural Society Of New York. whose
Chairman is DR.. " L. Britton. Director
in-Chief Of the New York Botanical Gar
den. Acting under the instruction Of the
society at its annual meeting in May,
1901, the Chairman sent letters concerning
the conference TO leading scientific So
cieties and individuals interested in pro-
gressive horticulture both at home and
abroad, TO all the agricultural expert
nent stations IN America. the United
States Department Of Agriculture and the
Minister of Agriculture of the Dominion
of Canada. in order to enlist a widespread
support and 20 ascertain views as TO the
most convenient dare for the attendance
of the majority OF those interested The
responses were unanimously in favor OF
holding such a conference, and the dates
of September 80 and October 1 and ,
1902, were finally selected by the Confer
SAANC NoA44AAllCts tOBciSli4S OF III. ~ L.
Britton. Chairman; DR.. F. NJ Hexamer,
J. de Wolf. II. A. Seabricht. and Leonard
Barron, Secretary. who is also secretary
OF the Horticultural Society OF New York.
An international plant breeding confer
ence was held in London in 1893 but the
American delegates there were disap-
pointed by it, and they felt that a great
opportunity had been lost. through fail
ure to bring forward more prominently
the matter OF economic values and the
possibilities OF increasing national wealth
by the lines of work considered BY the
forthcoming conference il is designed 10
ascertain and group the results OF the
efforts OF different countries and states.
thereby fixing a starting point by which
future work may be measured. and max
ing a valuable contribution 10 practical
science
As pointed out by an expert On the sub
ject. ali of our most familiar flowers.
fruits. vegetables, and cereals are the
results of unconscious plant breeding.
sometimes dating so far back that the
original types are unknown. as in the
instances of wheat and India corn All
systematic work in this line however.
has been done within the last fifty years.
while the last FIVE years have been more
productive of valuable results than the
whole foregoing period. In a paper by
Mr.. Barron he emphasizes the fact that
the history Of gardening as an advanced
art did not begin till about 80 years ago,
when Innaeus was building up his re-
markable system of plant classification.
FIom that time until recent years the
world was ranSscked for new plants. until
native horas were practically exhausted.
The new plant of today is generally rec
ognized as an artificial production, the
result OF hybridization. clear under
standing Of sexuality in plants was first
in 1876. and in 1881 Camerarius
published results OF Investigations ne had
made OF the stertility OF a mulberry tree
The first actual. intentional hybrid pro-
duced between two distinct species was
"Fairchild's sweet william" the achieve
ment OF Thomas Fairchiid. a London nur-
seryman. who died in 172s The progress
OF liberalization was slow for many years
afterwards. the effect of the process often
being very slight in the first generation.
so that first results were frequently dis
and early experimenters. who
trusted 10 chance were apt TO become
discouraged. After more scientific and
persistent lines OF investigation were
adopted. the pioneers were opposed by
popular prejudice. objection being raised
to their work on the ground that Il was
an irnpious Interference with the laws %
notnre So strong was the prejudice %
England that IA modern times noted
hrn Of Of nurserymeu near ondon con
ceaIed the fact that they7were manrfae-
turing their novelties, and placed o. the
market very large number Of
artificial hybrids. produced IN their nur-
& riss. as original species from the Cape
Of God Hope
Wonderful results hs<e been accomplish
cd IN plant-breeding b. the process OF So
lection alone The sugar In susar-beets
has been increased more than IN per
cent 81 the last century BY means OF
rigid selection. systematically and scien-
iificaIy carried out upon a large scale
81 French and German seed growers. IT.
svery generation Of beets the best roots.
With the highest percentage Of pure sugar
have been selected az the parents %
new generation Most valuable results
have been obtained II fhis country t. he
Work Of the state and The United States
sgriculturai experiment; stations IN
report b. wiiisi ". HAYS % the Mime
soia Agricultural Experiment ststisn.
81 ieh zss published II Iso, BE Gays
The ten leading ses1 crops Ia TIE
United States annually yfeld nearIysz s.e.-
=. 90 worth % plant prodscts. BY mans
y live stock and manufactures p-ocesssz
he value % these - - l1crrssed HAT
1 = veTy nearly do1biet- Experiments
fave demonstrated that - breeding sioss
hese crops nay be improved in TIER
rherited Tendencies a. &c yieid { per
.sut more. efen -ifh the cultivation re-
Dainirz enirarrovea II. ADDS sEzf sh@
Minnesota station - six years % s@iec-
5ca gro6rce5 vzrseti-~ Only tve1ry-slx
Tscbss tsI3. Increasing shs length II s1r
ibre more frsn epcr crit This expert
-suf DEMONSTRATES Tie 9osslbl5ti-s q
ireesins rsx Ehiea I'll grow as lo-r sbTe
u 6ry climate a. = prn-1ucet from tte
'onon csx n BelxiETs. Ireland sad other
zo.s; cDGn.ries ~Ae1e rnost o. fhe Gag
tire = now prndzced- 81 ~ process q
iel~cssoa n Wheat sre-sssnz AZ the sz-s
zztioz. ITO zer varieties have s~ea pro
lucs1 ard Distributed snsrh xEL 4 i
.stlr-Ase1 repsy he STATE IL = fs~ years