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

Since Burbank has made black
berries white, plums without stones
cactus without spines, bTiers without
prickles, 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 10 disease. since numerous
plant breeders have greatly increased
the yielding quality Of corn, cotton,
etc. no intelligent farmer should lon
ser be unmindful of the pedigree OF
his plants.
Plants can be bred up just as ami
mails Some Of the very same laws
af heredity apply In both. To the OBJ
serving, 81 has always been wonder
bow so many varieties of corn, wheat,
oats, cotton and other plants came TO
exist Probably it will always be a
wonder. for after all the origin Of
species is iuexpIcable except on the
hypothesis that a supreme intelli-
gence just made II that way.
No Distinct Species Produced.
Scientists have tried to explain the
origin Of species and the existence
If varieties by saying that they were
brought about by mutation or sports
that is, by sudden, spoTtive changes
whereby a plant got out OF the groove
Of its native ways But why the
plant had the sportive inclination and
why Il should attain distinct Charac-
ieristics by reason Of the same re-
mains a mystery.
No one has ever produced a distinct
species and no one has ever witness
"a the production OF one. All that has
apparently been observed is the re-
suits Of crossing different species and
Varieties.
Al any rate II 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
breed ding alone has been found the
only effective method for changing
variety. After the crossing has been
done If care is not taken 10 maintain
a. 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 Il 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
q summer what Darwin thought
would take a millennium.
Only Accidental Crossings.
What was formerly considered the
mysterious mutations are after all
only accidental crossings or cross
hreedings. The head OF wheat that
grew up amongst its brethren and
became larger and different was for
mer1y thought TO be a sudden mys-
tain that most Of these so-called mu-
tatlons have resulted from a sport p
i've wind or a sportive insect which
brought to the flower the fertilizing
pollen from a neighboring field per-
haps from another variety Of the
same kind Of grain, perhaps from a
different species.
10 is the introduction Of a strange
breed that excited the plant 10 extra
production. Thereby has been unfold
cd wonderful secret looking to in
err asing the harvests
After many years OF painstaking ex
periments in selection and trying 10
average up a whole field OF grain 10
a little higher each year, and after
pursuing other wrong quests, plant
breeders everywhere are now giving
more attention 10 cross breeding OF
varieties than 10 any other one thing
n this Burbank has led the world
and, more than any one else. has ad
Vanced the new movement of cross
breeding. In fact. very little can be
said to have been accomplished in
Improving plant life by man save by
this method
Advises Planting Hybrid.
Enough has been discovered about
the benefits Of cross breeding 10 have
TnF ~.
agriculture TO advise planting the by
brid for the field crop; that is TO pro
cuce single crop. A hybrid, OF
course, is a cross between two yarie-
ties. IT has been long recognized as
q principle that the mixture Of va
r,sties adds at least temporary
S, rength and development to the off
spring. Burbank has developed from
Two species OF the English walnut a
Tree Of extraordinary size and pro
d1ctivity.
But while the hybrid crop is good,
ae hybrid seeds are not As pre-
viouSly indicated there is a strong
tendency for the hybrid TO split up
and revert 10 original types. Good
Producing seed must be obtained In
Onother way, The seed stock must be
ept pure and strong Ii can be kept
nure by keeping Ii removed from sim
liar crops. It can be kept strong by
selecting only the best seed.
The farmer must. therefore. return
o the original strain each year to
obtain foundation for q good yield.
II is for this reason that the plant
breeder maintains his Wen cared for
seed plats where only the pure strain
is developed it is 10 these plats he
must go each year 20 get potentially
strong seed TO mix with another 20
tentially strong seed from another
such plat to obtain heavy yielding
hybrid
Doubtless many farmers have won
dered why they have not obtained big