New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-14
THE SCIENCE OF BREEDING PLANTS.
SOME ASTONISHING RESULTS ALREADY SECURED
NO TELLING WHAT FUTURE nay BRING FORTH

The science of plant breeding has almost reached
that point in its development where it is possible
for the breeder TO say TO the farmer. Tell me
what you want and I will give It 10 you" The
maiden. fancy free, may have much good
luck she likes, for a Holander has learned how
to raise clover that shall have he Wills four
five, six and even seven leaves. Every one knows
that there oranges without seeds. a breeder
in Colorado has produced few apples which have
seeds. According to newspaper dispatches, some
one in Virginia has learned how to make the milk
weed practical producer of milk Juicy vege-
table steaks resembling beefsteak, are asserted In
other dispat hes 10 be a fact Whether the stories
about the miI,weed and the vegetable steak be
true or not, breeders have learned how TO secure
desirable qualities at their pleasure and TO develop
new species.
What can Re done to satisfy the demands OF corn
growers IS illustrated by the accomplishment OF
the Illinois Experiment Station Average corn
contains a certain amount Of oil In Il bu5hcI
there is nearly two pounds This oil IS valuable
in the manufacture Of artificial rubber used Tor
electrical purposes. and is therefore OF eSpecl I'M
portarce in view OF the increase In the demand
for rubber The oil Is also used Tor LupF4cd'4hs
purposes, for adCte-ating olive oil, as wei as j"
the manufacture Of soaps, paints, etc A company
which buys about $1,000 90 bushels a year otIered
to pay higher prize for corn containing hlsHeF
percentage Of oil An increase in oil Of one pound
in busheI would Increase the price OF ccrn hVe
cents a busheL T4le experiment station succeeded
m nearly per cent in six years. This satlshed
one class Of users Of corn. Those who raise hoSs'
however wanted corn with low percentage OF OIL
because it would produce harder, hrmer paCoI' %
the station proceeded to reduce the percentage ana
succeeded in decreasing it TO less than per cent
A. tho same station the amount of protein, which
&c the element most valuable food, was Increased
from 1852 per cent to 10 per cent In SIX years ana
also decreased it in the same length OF time 10 900
per cent The station was also able 20 Iehgtneh
and shorten the ears increase or decrease the "ldth
of the ear and to raise and lower the position OF
the the stalk.
In the South where there was a dissemination TO
plant a larger acreage TO cotton, there was a de-
mand for a kind of cotton that would produce inoIe
To- the acre This has been done by increasing
the size Of the bolls and the length Of the Int
The accomplishments OF some plant breeders
would make one think the world could be turned
upside down. Plants seem 10 do the most uleA-
pected things at their bidding The cactus mas
been deprived of it's spines and made a wholesome
food for man and beast Two absolutely new fruits
NV, tec,, created the prinus berry and the plum
COT Blue peoples nave been produced and II IS
asserted that it would be as easy To produce Dlue
roses Rhubarb plants have been made to yield
every day in the year. At the breeders bidding
blackberry bushes are divesting themselves OF their
thorny exteriors. If one likes white blackoerrles
one NAV have them, for they are an accomplished
fact
4 considerable portion OF the United States IS
subject TO sudden fross. owing to TINS lacl crops
Of certain fruits such as pInni' Aee'ar'ie anu
uaacn are sometimes damaged trees Oh ''ll9
t,ne have been trained TO resist the frost Their
f,ifeg, and blossoms may snap and crack Win
ice in the morning but after the SenF1 neat Ok
he forenoon sun has melted 1t they show TO signs
Of the blight of the formerly deadly frost Inc
slr,, Growing walnut tree has been touched with
tr, breeders wand and has become the fastest
- tree in the temperate zone Beside
T'i,,st fence on Luther Eurbank's place in Cali
fornia one may see TWO walnut trees WAich present
s-~.}-tug, contrast To each other one OF them IS
i- rf1ras MS large as the other The smaller one,
which il, size and shape reminds one OF a H.lc
hrsh has been growing Tor nearly d generation
,.-,-+,.-oierr years The other which shades the
entire corner Of the yard nom tAe snare '' '"e
noCndav sun has been growing only thirteen years.
NJ sra,Is of the nuts were Thin on the fast
c-i,,,- tree that the birds could pick holes
eI,,,,e-i them This fault. So Mr.. Buroanil
-,.,,-sad the process in this particular and save
nm, stouter shells. Dealers In nuts in some cases
have been IN the habit OF whitening the meats OF
lie walnut by a bleaching process said 10 be in
s,,s The walnut trees on Mr.. Burbank's place.
- hts bidding produce white meats from which
al the tannin. that gives ordinary wa!nuts their
rittfr taste is removed
,rt, enorts of boys have Leen tampered wi-A. II
f ruv no longer necessary 20 CLIMB chestnut trees
- r,Ia- 10 shake down the nuts. The trees have
5 mao. to bear when only "A few months old
and only twice as high as a watering pot
pIums without PITS, and only the suggestion ~
. t have boon produced TO one variety A--a
80, given the flavor. aroma and texture %
,tlert near Ii is said that an expert fruit .ne--
,t-.-t Who had been bludfolded, when he biz into
This run declared that II was the most delicious
rear he had ever tasted The small bitter beach
linn which attracts so many sailing parties from
Connecticut shore towns across the souRS - ~