Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-05

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American Breeders association, Of which
Mr.. HAYS is the executive secretary. The
organization has nearly fifty committees
at work on the different phases Of plant
and animal breeding. There are commit
tees on breeding draft horses. driving
horses. saddlers. dairy COWS. beef cattle
ana dual purpose or dOuhle-decked cows
good for both beef and milk. Other com
mittees deal with sheep breeding. i'm
provement OF swine, poultry. pet stock.
fur-bearing animals, and game birds and
there Is even a committee on "eugenics'
which studies heredity In The genus
homo-with President David starr Jordan
OF Leland stanford university as chairman.
There are committees which formulate
the best plan for breeding wheat. and Of
corn and Of alfalfa; and even a COMMITTEES
on the Improvement Of beans. that we may
have better pole beans, better Boston
baked b~eans-that we may better know
beans" There are committees on plant
and animal introduction and on the en-
couragement Of the study Of heredity in
the schools.
only a few years ago the subject OF
heredity was not usually taught in our
colleges because the amount of knowledge
in the world on the subject did not justify
a college teaching the subject.
Many Report to Omaha.
Many OF these committees are TO report
In Omaha. The meeting has been purposely
called during the National Corn exposi-
ton. The exhibits gathered in Omaha's
Auditorium and its annex are a graphic
answer to what the American Breeders
association. with its affiliated teachers
and workers, has been accomplishing. The
members can take any business man or
farmer into the exposition and show him
that after a decade Of work the scientist
has also proved the broad economist. Proof
that 81 invested in breeding experiments
will produce 500 or 10000 per cent on the
Investment will not be hard to find at the
National Corn exposition. Already with
a limited number Of experiment stations
and agricultural colleges, it is a fact that 10
to 20 per cent increase on 1000, 10000 worth
of farm products annually has been real
ICED. The farms produce 1860. 100000 worth
Of plant and animal and plant products
every twelve months. Scientific breedirg
Is Acknowledged to be responsible for ST.
800, 100000 of this-lt is all added profits TO
American farmers and costing a mere
trifle.
Mr.. Hays was one Of the first to prove
that a few thousand per cent on an in
vestment in his work was possible and
today foreign governments are beginning
to see that the American experiment sta
lions are virtually bononzas which have
never been worked on the other side of
the Atlantic.
Addition in Field Crops.
The men now in charge of Minnesota's
famous plant-breeding establishment, or
ganized by Mr.. Hays, say that with an
expenditure OF less than 1000 in 1908, the
field crops Of the state have been made
to Yield an additional 1900, 600. This figure
Is based on the modestly estimated in
crease of the new varieties above the old
kinds displayed by them of 81 per acre
on a 100000 acres now planted to the
seven new varieties OF corn. wheat, oats,
barley and flax first distributed to Mime
sofa farmers by Mr.. Hays.
What Prof p. @. ~~Tolcen, the evangelist
Of a better agriculture, has accomplished
In Iowa is we'll known. The lowest esti-
mate ever put on Prof. Holden's work Is
that he has increased the value of Iowa's
corn crop 81. 900, 600 annually.
Much fun has been made Of the com
mittee on "Eugenics'' by the yellow
newspapers and Secretary Hays and Presi-
dent James Wilson, have had some diff
Guilty to get public men to serve on this
committee because of the sensatlonslism
attached to the appointment OF such a
committee. But David Starr Jordan is not
a man to take hold Of a freak idea and
permit himself to be made the sport of
yellow newspapers. He paid no attention
to their sensational write ups, but went
into the work with a following Of brilliant
educators.
The objects Of the I'm: are to in
vestigate and report on heredity in the
human race; to devise methods of record
ing the values OF the blood Of individuals
families, peoples and races; TO emphasize
the value Of superior blood and the menace
to society Of inferior blood and to suggest
methds OF improving the heredity of the
family, the people or the race.
There is nothing sensational about the
committee. "Eugenics'' is a new word to
many and the public. not knowing its
meaning the yellow press has made n
big stir about Dr.. Jordan's committee
Francis Cation has defined the new sci.
ence as the study OF agencies under socla.
control that may improve or impair to ra-
cial qualities Of future generations either
physically or mentally. The science does
not propose to confine its attention IL
problems Of inheritance only, but to dea
also with problems of environment and Of
nature.
These, then, are some Of the lines Of
work undertaken by this remarkable or
ganization. which wants the government
to continue spending its millions for the
benefit OF the people who occupy the lands
Other countries have heard Of their work
their reports are translated into many Ian,
guages and the foreign nations are gettinl
ready to spend tens OF millions In building
up the practice and science Of agriculture
and In creating better types OF plants and
animals that production may be Increased
The governments OF earth have come e
realize that expenditures for research and
technical education in the productive in.
d~ustries are as necessary as are eXpendi
lures for an army or a navy.
The signs OF the times indicate that thu
forces are gathering in America to lead
the world In this great work.
This is the program OF the meeting Il
Omaha as nearly as 1t can be outlined a
this time by Secretary Hays:
WEDNESDAY FORENOON, DEC. 8.
Address by Viee-PresidenL william
George, Aurora, IN, "Details for a Gam,
and Fish Breeders Law Dwight w
Huntington. New York City: THE Bffec.
OF Co-Operation In Breeding on Lamb Pro
duetlon in Central Tennessee" J.. e. Hite