Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-29

berries white, plums without stones
cactus without spines. briers without
priclles. applies without seeds, con-
ferred fragrance where none belong
ed. changed flavor and increased sizes
and Yields. since Nilsson has enlarged
the heads, strengthened the straw and
rendered oats, wheat and barley re-
sistant to disease; since numerous
plant breeders have greatly increased
the yielding quality Of corn, cotton,
etc no intelligent farmer should lon
ger be unmindful Of the pedigree OF
has plants.
Plants can be bred up just as ant
mails Some of the very same laws
of heredity apply in both. To the OBJ
serving it has always been a wonder
how so many varieties Of corn, wheat
oats. cotton and other plants came to
exist. Probably it will always be a
wonder for after ali the origin of
specie Is iueTplicable except on the
hypothesis that a supreme intelli-
gence just made it that way.
No Distinct Species Produced.
Scientists have tried TO explain the
origin Of species and the existence
of varieties by saying that they were
brought about by mutation or sports
that is, by sudden, sportive changes
whereby a plant got out Of the groove
Of It's native ways, But why the
plant had the sportive inclination and
why il should attain distinct charac-
teristiCs by reason OF the same re-
mains a mystery.
No one has ever produced a distinct
species and no one has ever witness
I'd the production Of one. All that has
apparently been observed ls the re-
suite 80 ~rnegfr,cr Gfffaranf gpegTae and
varieties.
AT any rate IT is certain that there
are many distinct species in the
world which have fixed habits and
produce faithfully after their kind
with only limited variations Cross
breeding alone has been found the
only effective method for changing
a variety. After the crossing has been
dune II care is not taken TO maintain
IT, the variety splits up and reverts to
its original compOnents.
Probers into the deep things OF
science formerly believed with Oar
win that the origin Of species was far
back and that # took vast centuries
of natural selection and a survival Of
the fittest TO produce species and
create a change In a variety. But
now Prof Burbank aCComplishes in
summer what Darwin thought
Only Accidental Crossings
What was formerly considered the
mysterious mutations are after all
only accidental crossings or cross
brccdnRs The head Of wheat that
grew up amongst its brethren and
became larger and different was for
merry thought to be a sudden mys-
FERROUS mutation, but now It is GER
tain that most Of these so-called mu-
tations have resulted from a sport
I've wind or a sportive insect which
brought to the flower the fertilizing
pollen from a neighhoring field. per-
hapS from another variety OF the
same kind of grain, perhaps from a
different species
il Is the introduction Of a strange
breed that excited the plant TO extra
production. Thereby has been unfold
ga a wonderful secret looking 10 in
crtaslng the harvests.
After many years Of painstaking ex-
periments in selection and trying to
average up a whole field Of grain to
little higher each year. and after
Pursuing other wrong quests. plant
breeders everywhere are now giving
moro attention to cross breeding of
varieties than 20 any other one thing.
In this Burbank has led the world.
and, more than any one else. has ad-
Vanced the new movement of cross
hreC ding In fact very little can be
said TO have been accomplished i'm
Improving plant life by man save by
This method.
Advises Planting Hybrid
Enough has been discovered about
the benefits Of cross breeding to have
Induced the United States Bureau OF
agriculture TO advise planting the NV
hrid for the field crop. that is. 10 pro
dule a single crop. A hybrid. of
course. Is a cross between two varie-
ties. II has been long recognized as
a principle that the mixture Of va
r,e.i les adds at least temporary
strength and development to the off
Spring. Burbank has developed from
two species Of the English walnut q
tlve Of extraordinary size and pro-
ductivity.
But while the hybrid crop is good
the hybrid seeds are not AS pre-
Yinusly indicated there is a strong
tendency for the hybrid 10 split NJ
ard revert &c original types GOOD
producing seed must be obtained IN
another way. The seed stock must be
OF pure and strong il can be kept
pure by keeping fl removed from sim
!'tr crops Il can be kept strong bN
selecting only the best seed.
The farmer must, therefore return
20 the original strain each year tc
obtain a foundation for a good yield
Il is for this reason that the PLAN
bl eeder maintains his well cared fol
seed plats where only the pure strair
IS developed. II is TO these plats ht
must go each year TO get "a potentially
strong seed TO mix with another DO
tentially strong seed from another
s. Oh plat 10 obtain heavy yielding