The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-01-31

as great q growth with q Scant sup
ply Of moisture as 1t would were all
the conditions of soil, and moisture
and temperature favorable. Fortunate
~ what may be called the law of ad-
agitation to the Divers may be invok-
ed. 1t vas clearly presented a num-
Der of years ago by Prof. Geddes, the
eminent Scotch naturalist. Briefly, 1t
may be stated to be the law by which
plant sacrifices it's vegetative in favor
of it's reproductive functions. 1 be-
lieve a tendency under adverse condi-
tioas to sacrifice everything else in
favor of reproduction is more or less
true of all species-with this corolla-
ry. that where the other functions are
for any reason highly developed, it is
likely to be, relatively speaking, at
the sacrifice of the reproductive. An
illustration of the latter supposition
is seen in the case of wheat, where
a very heavy growth of straw is usu-
ally accompanied by a disappointing
yield of grain. 1t would seem that
the reproductive responds less prom
pity to favorable n yields less readi
ly to unfavorable conditions. So
when a wheat plant attempts to adapt
itself to a scalt supply of moisture,
it sacrifices first the straw, since the
grain or eed contains the %reproduc-
tive power of the species.
This may be largely mere theory;
but IN the course of the experiments
which 1 personally began in the spring
of 1896, and have continued ever since
I have noticed a tendency of this
kind, and it is characteristic of my
wheat that is possesses relatively
large heads. In this connection, 1
may remark that COMPARISONS ,lbe-
tween the relative yields of straw and
grain in different varieties of wheat
grown under the same physical condi
ions are of little value as a test of
this theory. To secure an adequate
test, plants OF the same variety should
be grown in the one case under high
ly favorable and in the other under
extremely ~ulfavorable conditions.
Since the grain is the more valuable
part of a cereal, the sacrifice of straw
farmer, provided the yield of grain is
maintained in profitable Quantities
per acre. 1t will bea repetition that,
not only is this sacrifice unobjection-
able, but furthermore it is u2avoid-
able. With a cry small quantity of
auaiIo bIa nonicturo M oorooI oOuJd Dro
duce at the same time a great abun-
dance of stem and leaf on the one
hand and of grain on the other. la
obedience to the law by which repro
duction is favorable, the plant sac
rifices it's straw, and thus the produc-
ton of a profitable quantity of grain
is made practicable.
Experience Teaches That
Variations N~eutraIize.
The principle involved in seed Sc
lection for the purpose of taking ad-
vantage of favorable variations is SO
simple, that at first one may think
the problem one of marching on a
direct line to an easy victory. But
experience shows that variations end
to neutralize one another. The com
parative stability of species in a nat
ural state shows that some sucn pro-
cess must be at work, for otherwise
such a multiplicity of varieties would
be developed in the course of a few
generations of plant life that distiac-
ton by what are called species would
cease to be practicable. Instability
rather than stability would be every
where manifest. Variations do not
proceed on a straight line toward a
definite goal. We may in n year Sc
lect a plant because of a favorable va
ration in the right direction, only to
find that in the next year it varies
back to h old condition, and thus
the ground supposed to nave been
gained is lost. One is, therefore fore
ed to accept in part the conclusions
of DeVries. the eminent Dutch botan-
list, and acknowledge hat one must
accountable departures from the stan
dard. if in a shor period of years
one would find radical changes in the
constitution of plants. To this class
belong what are commonly called
sports. Thus wonderful things may
be accomplished in some cases in a
very short time, whereas in others.
years may elapse n but little prog
ress be made. In the case of my own
wheat, two varieties have been deve-
loped, one of which appeared the first
time in percisely the manner Just in.
dicated- 1t is so different from the
other hat it would suggest that the
had become mixed were 1t not
that in the course of my experiments
the grain has been handled with ex-
treme care. and were it o 10 the
more important fact that this new
kind exhibits a tendency 20 return
to he old standard. 1t remain a fact.
however, that there is some impor-
n to be attached to the slow pro