The St. Louis Republic., 1903-12-30

- - e5s132e.ss3(
| RENEREVD- ma 5RENAl4N
| efficient and rapidly developing. The one
school Of men measures and tabulateS the
butter yields of cows, the performance of
| trotting horses. the prize getting of
| SWINE and compares the transmitting
powers of one family with another, that
| they may secure the best blood lines.
The philosophy the methods and the ex-
| pertness of some of our statistical breed
| ers. and even of those who bet by statis-
ties at races. will quite surprise the scien-
| lists. The other. school of men makes
| similar studies of wild and domesticated
| species to learn the laws of life. : -
1.-THE promoters of this proposed Plant
and Animal Breeders Association believe
| that these two schools of men have much
| in common. and that they can be mutual
| ly very helpful. AS Charles Darwin found
| much in the study of the practical breeding
broadening out the worlds view of nat
| ,irai evolution. SO the students Of heredity
! to-day will doubtless find this their rich
| est field for research. And as the practical
| breeders have been greatly benefited by
| Darwin and his disciples in the study of
| historic evolution. so the breeders OF the
those scientists Who make a systematic
| study of heredity. The statistical records
In dairy breeding, in breeding race horses.
ane in breeding meat and other stock.
l
should be ready to demonstrate to the
| breeders their mistakes. - a. -
| Science Is very remiss in that 1t did
| not bring sharply to the attention of
| the nation the loss of the blood of the
| Morgan race of horses before 1t was well
| nigh too late i..7 ''.
| the task of proving for the ten thou
| sandth time that Darwins main conten-
| tton is true. but has allowed the great
| economic problems of artificial evolution
| to remain almost virgin field. Only re-
| Gently have such men as Galton. Mendel.
| De Nries, Bateson and a few others en-
| tered upon comprehensive lines of re-
search and many of these have hardly
are at stake, nor have they seen the open
| doors Of opportunity which might be en-
tered by cooperation with the men who
| control the breeding herds and the plant
breeding nurseries, - 'f -
SOME BROAD PROBLEMS.
While many of the problems of heredi-
| ty lend themselves TO the methods Of the
laboratory and may be worked out by the
| patient Mendel and De vries. there are
other and possibly broader problems
| which need the methods of q Cation, or
others possibly of q business nature, in
which the modern industrial merger and
manager must be the chief personality.
Measuring, recording. tabulating and de-
ducihg lessons from large numbers Of In
,af,Hrl ,alHidual wheat plants: with intricate re-
AhtAoHSiiipS, SEONH u lOIlS series VI
years might show large number of
most useful facts. y
TT would seem that the complexlty Of
this subject would increase as the ac-
be that research by the scientists and
| intelligent study and exploitation by the
breeders win block out certain large
greatly simplify the steps, which must be
taken to bring about the Improvement of
our great economic crops and animals, and
also those Of lesser and artistic value.
During recent years plant breeders have
been making far more rapid strides in the
Improvement of methods than animal
breedefs though earlier scientific animal
breeding had advanced far beyond plant
"Anfnal breeders have taught the plant
breeder the magnitude of the power of the
blood of the Individual. Plant breeGers
win be able to determine many of the
facts of common interest. which can
be asssrtained in only through H., the he
animal hybridizing Will the results Of the
plant breeders prove useful In helping to
avoid useless expenditures in making new
animal hybrids: For example methods
how to produce fertile race. OF mules,
in which are combined the size of the
draft horse with the toughness, longevity
donkey: - i'',
P'Tt may be proven by following the les
sons from plants that third species. fer
may ma Serve as an intermediary through
which this desirable blood mixture may
be made. The modern short-lived. heavy
about three hours per average work day
throughout the year and the heavier dray
horse ought to be radically improved
and who knows how to attack the prob
lem? 80 Fi', i+.3
"Your committees correspondence has
brought some suggestive statements from
those interested Dean Davenport of the
"The facts of breeding are as yet so
| little known and its principles are so OBJ
scure and so complicated In their inter
| the student and the practical breeder
| alike may alight on some one or two and
elevate them into the first rank among
discriminating Influences. to the neglect
or complete oversight of other and per-
| haps even more important circumstance.
There is the greatest need Just now for
facts and for a spirit that will hold sweep
| ing theories in abeygnce until we shall
| learn 'enought about the subjects to know
| where the facts belong. 1t is facts. not
| theories. that are most needed Just now.
and an should work together to the end
| that facts of a wide range may be col
lected and that when the time comes to
b1eah it a be doae sesS from e the
est possible ground. in order that thrert-
| niatOlogy may one. day rank as science
and its teachings from the basis for safe
f"Governor Hoard of Hoards Dairyman,
while writing his regrets that previous
engagement keeps him away said:
.' 1t seems to me that there is great
| danger of statistical methods becoming
more matherna teal than Biological Above
everything else. the breeder must carry
| constant study OF physiological action and
reaction. -
Il notice that the great examplars of
cattle breeding. like Bates and Booth. and
particularly Dauncey of Stoke Pogis
| fame. seemed to comprehend In practice
certain secrets OF breeding that were far
ahead of any record they have made in
| the matter, e
| Secretary Wilson. who is doing such
a large service to breeding by his liberal
policy in giving support to the plan of
| organizing breeding and research in here
| dity suggested that the proposed Plant
\ and Animal Breeders Association be or
gan,zed under the auspices of the Nation
| al Association of Agricultural Colleges
| and Experiment Stations. Under his
| strong leadership the official and general
public are taking seriously the proposition
| that we build up a science, a technique:
| and an industry. of breeding plants and
| animals which shall add to- all Its other
| modern improvements. greatly improved
forms of plant. and animal life"
PROFESSOR S. ]. HUNTER ON
ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZATION.
In the Geological Section paper of
l praat interest was. that of Professor &