Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1908-12-24
GRAIN BREEDING
LIKE ANIMAL.

GRAIN BREEDING
LIKE ANIMAL.
Mr.. Carton said.
On careful examination we find
that there are many points of SINH
larity when it comes to the improve
ment of both the plant and the
animal. and we find further that if
We follow the principles that have
improved our live stock. we can
bring about great Improvement in
our farm crops. That is to say. by
crossing different varieties of cereals
or other plants for the purpose of
producing variation. then it only
remains for US to select those new
types which seem best to fulfill our
needs. There is much encourage
ment for the belief that vast changes
are possible in the improvement of
our farm plants. Plant breeding, is
not a matter of mystery. but merely
a question of careful Investigation
and the intense application of the
principles that govern plant life.
The plant is more pliable than the
animal in the hands of the breeders.
The underlying PRINCIPLES of i'm
provement are much the same. The
success to be attained will be largely
influenced by the persistence and in
terest with which the principles are
applied, The American farm has
been likened to mine. from which
you take the fertility of the SOIL
The wonderful productiveness of
your farm has made the use of i'm
proved stock and improved farm
crops thus far matter of secondary
consideration. If the history of
American agriculture can be likened
to the history of other countries. it
will be necessary to paw a great deal
more attention to these "details in
the future. The farm must become
a modern factory. where is evolved
the higest type and the maximum of
all farm products.
IMPORTANCE OF CORN
TON.
By the process of regeneration we
have brought into being in the last
few years. varieties. BY mating an
American Swedish select oat with
superior Swedish select oat grown
under a more favorable environment.
such as New Zealand or the con-
tinent of Europe. we have brought
into being the regenerated Swedish
select. That these regenerated
breeds possess merit over the original
varieties. is exemDlified by the fact
that in public trials thew have out.
yielded all the original varieties. For
instance. the Canadian government
report shows 20 per cent increase
in favor of regenerated oats. while
in thirteen trails made bv the Irish
Bureau of Agriculture. the reqener-
ated breed of the local Irish oats
outyielded the original variety bv IS
per cent, In similar trials in Scot
land by the Highland and Areicul-
tural society. the increase yield was
So per cent. and in ENGLAND at the
Yorkshire college. the increase Weld
of regenerated breeds of the local
English oats. was Al Der cent.
The Third step involved in plant
Improvement has been simple cross
ing or the mating OF one distinct
variety of oats with another variety.
For instance. the mating Of Swedish
select oats with the Kherson. the
idea being to blend the desirable
characteristics of two different
varieties into one plant, thereby
enabling US later to select those
plants which show to most marked
degree desirable characteristics.
Simple crossing has been made the
means of creating MANY new varieties
of oats as we'll as other plants.
To 90 one step further in the
study of plant improvement. we
must speak of composite crossing or
crossing of many distinct varieties
and the blending of the desirable
characteristics of all such varieties
into one plant. For instance, there
may be eight distinct varieties of
oats or other plants. each of which
NAV have one distinguishing charac-
ter which makes 1t superior or
different from other varieties. We
wish to take this characteristic of
each variety, combine it with the
one distinct characteristic Of each
other VARIETY into q new and distinct