The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-09-20
SCIENTIFIC
PLANT BREEDING
by Prof. A. G. True, Department OF
Agriculture.

plant breeding are so often mentioned
that they have become automatic
Among these are the incompatibility
Of earliness and prolificacW of large
size and number of parts, and the
correlation of other qualities.
There is opportunity toy further OBJ
servation on these points, and if this
limitation is found ,to prevail, the
physiological phenoRiena which deter
mine this antagonfsm remains to De
Worked out. Mon eover, the recent
work of Bateson has cast doubt on
the limitations of SELECTION as means
of fixing type, Which is worthy OF
further investigation.
The study of lhutations, as de-
scribed by De Vries, seems fruitful
field for investigation. The old taxo-
Enomic idea of the fixity of species;
appears to be doomed to give way to
a, different concept. MacDougal has
recently shown that plants can be so
profoundly affected by chemicals as to
lose their character sufficiently to re-
suit in the production of new forms.
| If this should be true, it may result
in a new method of plant-breeding,
| and at all events it calls attention to
the possible influence of certain en-
yironmental conditions. Fertilizers
and soil conditions are known to have
an effect on the composition of the
| t,,on oC
The turnip has been found to be
quite frequently Influenced in COM
position in proportion to the deficien-
cy of the soil in phosphoric acid, and
in the case of cereals an attempt has
been made to work out a method for
ascertaining the fertilizer require
ments of the soil on the basis OF the
composition of the crop grown.
The necessity of taking these mat
tiers into account when plants are be-
ing bred for increased protein, and of
fully checking or controlling all condi-
lions other than individuality which
may cause changes will be apparent.
In the case of leguminous plants bred
for increased protein content the pos
sible effect of nitrogen assimilation as
disturbing factor should be borne
in mind.
1t has been shown that, nitrogen as
sanitation may have the effect of in
creasing the nitrogen content OF the
plant or it's seed, and it has also been
| hof &c
siderably in the energy with which
thew assimilate atmospheric nitrogen.
The conditions surrounding this &C.
tivity and the factors which influence
it are little understood, but these diff
ferences in conditions or capacity OF
the plant may nullify the results oil
breeding work which does not take ac
, count of them. The obvious remedy
would seem to be the treatment of the
soil in which these experiments. are
made in such way as to eliminate nj
trogen assimilation and its attendant
influences.
, There is every reason why the
f. breeding work as a whole should be
placed upon more scientific basis
It has become prominent feature o
the work of the stations, and the prac
teal results attained have aroused in
terest and confidence in it.
Already attention is being given b!
the more progressive farmers to sc
lection, the use of improved seed, ant
the work of the stations and other
> are therefore finding practical appli
cation in their hands. The creates
= need of this work is improved meth
f DDS and a better understanding of tn
principles involved in order that or
u Rrvation may be guided, and the IL
!. terpretation of results made NOR
| sure