The farmer and mechanic., 1911-01-10
SOLVING FUTURE
FOOD PROBLEMS.


MetilOd-Mr. Patterns Fine Work
How an iowa Plant Breeder is Meet
ing Difficult Conditions by Producing
New Types of Fruits and Vegetables
(From L. II. Bailey, "An Iowa Plant
Breeder in the January Century,
The fundamental problem for man.
kind is to produce food for itself
This food must grow out Of the earth
and in the sea. In the last analysis it
al depends on the vegetable cover of
the earth. How to make the Vegeta-
bic kingdom more productive to the
needs Of man is therefore problem
that concerns all persons who at any
time live in the world
Great and serious study has been
given to this fundamental problem in
the last century, and the problem
must increase in Importance as every
new generation adds to the population
Of the earth. We are eradicating pes
thence and insanitation. and are be-
ginning to think of putting an end IT,
war; all this should allow the human
race to increase rapidly in the future.
But the future increase will prOba bly,
depend more on social and economic
factors than on physical factors alone.
and the foremost economic factor is
the facility of the ditfiulty with With
the race may be fed.
The plant breeders are Of two
groups. Those who are not connected
with an orga aniZatiOn but who prose-
cute their work on their OWE resources,
usually in connection with nursery
or seed business. and those who are
attached to some college, experiment
station Or government department.
an unattached plant breeder, NJ
Charles G. Patten of Charles City,
Iowa, should be mentioned, both be-
cause his work is deserving and be-
c,f., 1,.,f
I can write OF results actually acom-
jlisned.
Mr.. Patten was a farm boy in north
ern New York, reared in the general
mixed husbandry Of that region. At
an cary age he ewnt to Wisconsin.
where. being impressed with the need
Of apples specially adapted to the
climate, he began to raise seedlings. In
1864 he removed to Charles City aTi
settled on the raw prairie near the
town; in 1866 he established nursery
business. AS he attempted to supply
the needs Of the new and untried re-
giOn, he found himself compelled TO
est great numbers Of varieties OF
fruits and ornamental plants from
the older country, and also to attempt
to breed new ones that might more
perfectly meet the conditions Of very
cold winters with dry killing winds
The result has been the production of
the Patten Greeniug, now a standard
apple of the northern Iiowa-W:scon-
sin Minnesota region Cor what may
be called the box-elder country and
several other accepted varieties.
There are also large numbers of new
things yet awaiting fuller tests. 1t is
not often that man has more than
one accepted new variety to his credit
In the region that ] have indicated.
the Baldwin, Greening, Northern Spy.
ut f3
killed by the winters Mr.. Patten OBJ
served that the trees and Shru bS
which did we'll even in his Wisconsin
experience were lacking in hardness
in northeastern Iowa He pondered all
these facts and worked out q theory or
plan Of procedure. 1t was clearly
necessary to secure a new stock or
race Of fruits. There are still several
theories as to the best way Of doing
this with apples One is to import
varieties OF fruits direct from a coun-
try or similar climate; the noted in
PRODUCTION Of Russian apples thirty or
forty years ago was the working out
Of this idea. Another theory is to i'm
prove the wild crab-apple that is ma
tive to the region. From this crab,
probably hyhrid;zed with the domestic
apple, the Soufard and few others.
have actually been produced; but all
are Of small value where any other
apple can be grown. Another idea ls
to use the Siberian crab as founda-
ton from which to breed. Another
plan, or rather practice. is to plant
ind ;scriminately the seeds Of eastern
Wa rieties, in the hope that an adapta-
bic form may appear The "ealny
apple. our leading cold-country varie-
ty. was actually produced in this way,
Peter NJ. Gideon, in Minnesota, SOW
ing a bushel Of apple seed from
Maine, out OF which this one Seeding
proved to be valuable.
He is wise farmer who knows his