Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-12

1t is not so much trouble to apply
| the principle of eugenics to plant
| life Very little trouble, indeed-and
| very profitable.
Plants can't get silly about the
wrong mate and elope. The plant
breeder mates whom he will Bur
bank has enforced marital connection
between plants which nature never
undertook. and probably would never
have accomplished. The Crosses"
which he has obtained are many and
wonderful.
After a fashion the average farmer
selects the seed he thinks will best
reproduce and yield in the coming
harvest. He has been doing that from
the time grain was domesticated, but
not until recent years have important
secrets of how plants breed been
learned, and with that how tofso di-
rect as to get the strongest and best
yielding Of a kind.
Plant breeders now begin with one
plant and keep the strain pure for 4
basis BY keeping pure Is meant in
breeding" or marrying within the
family. Marrying within the family
of course, does not conduce to vitali
" and reproductlvity. The plant
breeder has, therefore, to take care
not to breed too lose within the fam
ilv. II he Is developing a Hastings
prolific corn. he will mate his strain
with Hastings ~rolihc Of some 9TH
er part OF the State, selecting va =
riety as far away from the Adam
corn Of the variety and away from
his immediate cCrn family as he can
When he has done this. he Is doing
his best to maintain purity of strain
and vitality.
Paper Bags Aid Breeders.
Next in order, according to best
plant eugefics. n to cross this single
variety with quite an opposite va
riety. Crossing can be obtained by
planting, in successive hills, grains If
each variety. Put the surest WAY IL
to artihcially bring about the desired
connection by pollenating the flow r
OF one with pollen from another ex-
GLIDING other pollenation by inClosing
the flower in paper bag or by other
ell-known methods.
After the cross has been made, the
Weld, Of course. Is a mixture II is
large yield. on account of the mixture.
New strength has been created by
reason of the crossing
After this process Of plant eugenics
has been carried through. the crop or
offspring is chosen for field planting
the next season The dominant char
acteristlcs of the plant doubtless will
he the strain which has been kept
| pure by "inbreeding"
When the seed of the first year
crosses have been planted according
to the science of eugenics. the farm
err has "A right to EXPECT the largest
| POSSIBLE yield from his paintings. In
| fact, he WIN have such a large yield
I
| neighbors viii he eager to get some
of Il Tor planting. II would he sinful
| to sell that seed without telling the
buyer what IL is. He ought 10 know
| that II Is a cross and that in three
or four years 1t will have so degen-
Grated as to produce great many
barren stalks and poor yield on any
stalk
Must Return to Pure Breeds.
The fact is that the modern farmer
who is out for all he can make from
his land nv means of all the know
edge he can apply will take care rc~
to replant seed from the crosses fo-
more than three years, but viii res
turn to his patch of pure breds" for
another start.
All this is preliminary to the point
Of the story. which is thai this is the
time to select seed FOR plant ng. At
| least, Il is time To select seed from
whatever crop natures in the fail.
When the size of the yield of a
crop can be increased from 30 to 60
| per cent by the right selection OF
| seed, is IL not worth while?
Rear In mind that IL is not the
| est-lookinC corn, the SHOW corn.
| that Is going to bring good Yields
Often the SNOWY corn is aristocratic
onN in appearance For purposes OF
| REPRODUCTION II is down and out
! The writer saw progeny OF ma e
| tional rrize winner that was all IL
| the bad the other day. There we -
more barren stalks than fruitful ones
in the lot, A hot wave in the summer
had snapped all the life away that re-
mained to Il.
| The farmer who wants to test his
! corn this fall to the end that he can
| sete aside that which will give the
| best account OF itself when planted
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