The St. Louis Republic., 1903-12-30
PROFESSOR HAYS ON PLANT
AND ANIMAL BREEDING

Professor W. n. Hays Of the University
OF Minnesota, delivered a report on the
organization of a plant and animal breed
ers' association, showing the correlation
of the two breeding sciences In part he
said:
We have assembled at the suggestion
of the American Association of AgricuI-
ture Colleges and experiment stations to
consider the improvement Of animals and
plants. That association for three years
has had under favorable consideration the
formation of an American Association of
Plant and Animal Breeders, and those in
terested in the problems of heredity. That
associaaon, aisa which Is In touch with seien-
other organization in the world, has sug-
gested that the scientists in biological
lines turn for time from the interesting
problems of historical evolution to the
needs of artificial evolution. 1t asks prac-
tical breeders. while seeking financial re-
turns from breeding living things. to oc-
easionally pause and study the laws OF
1T has invited the breeders and students
OF heredity to associate themselves to-
gether for their mutual benefit and for
the common good of the country and
world. It has thus recognized that the
wonderful potencies in what We are wont
TO call heredity, may In greater part be
man, as are the great physical forces OF
nature. 1t has suggested that we meet
together that each may get the point of
view of the other and that each may ap-
preciate the problems OF the other.
1T suggests that the scientists should
know the conditions of the living organ
isms under Improvement and the practices
that they may apply their scientific
methods to the solution of these prob
lens.
ut suggests TO the practical breeders
methods. facts and theories of the scleii-
lists, that they may not only take advati-
they may place in the crucible Of practical
test any promising facts and theories
which may there be brought out.
...All that these two classes Of men lack
to bring them together In a grand cooper
ative effort to improve the great staple
crops and the magnificent species Of ami
, mails is a plan of working together. The
of ten or more per cent in the billions of
dollars worth of american plant and ami
NAL products, or total of hundreds OF
income with but little added expenditure.
Is a large undertaking. but billion dol
/ lars of added wealth every decade is a
at at least to the the scientists, s is the possible
solution of some of the intricate problems
of heredity in plants. in the lower AMI
mails and in man.
PROBLEMS OF HEREDITY.
/ Two schools Of men have recently
arisen which are trying to solve problems
of heredity. both ushing methods which
may roughly be denominated statistical
methods. The one is a school of practical
breeders. who are using the records se-
cured al the feeding trough. at the meat
and butter and wool scales. on the race
track and at the prize ring. in the case
of animals; and at the grain or forage
scales. in the sugar laboratory. and In the
cotton gin in the case of plants. to help
them solve the problems of how to create
more wealth. The other IL new school
OF biologists who are using measures of
hereditary traits, as determined by the
averaged statistics of large, numbers OF
Individuals; who are studying the develop
ments of species or wider or narrower
group of living organisms by mathemati-
cal. mechanical and other processes under
which the facts concerning the relations
Of individuals and of groups OF iniividn-
als arc compared. - =
s'The staii5tical methods of both schools
are as vet crude. but they are already