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

berries white, plums without stones
cactus without spines, briers 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 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
his plants
Plants can be bred up just as ami
mails Some of the very same laws
OF heredity apply in both. To the OBJ
serving. Il has always been wonder
how so many varieties Of corn wheat,
oats. cotton and other plants came to
exist Probably ii will always be a
wonder. for after all the origin Of
species is inexpllcable except on the
hypothesis that a supreme intelii-
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 its 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 n distinct
species and no one has ever witness
ed the production Of one. All that has
apparently been observed is the re-
suits Of crossing different species and
varieties.
At any rate It is certain that there
are many distinct species I'm 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
done II care is not taken TO maintain
it, the variety splits up and reverts to
lis original components
Probers into the deep things Of
science formerly believed with Oar
win that the origin Of species was far
hack and that 10 took vast centuries
of natural selection and survival OF
the fittest 10 produce species and
create a change in a variety. But
now Prof. Burbank accomplishes in
summer what Darwin thought
would take "a millennium.
Only Accidental Crossings.
What was formerly considered tho
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
merly thought 20 be a sudden mys-
FERROUS mutation. but now Il is GER
fatH HHas1a . Al.
tations have resulted from a sport
I've wind or a sportive insect which
brought 10 the flower the fertilizing
pollen from neighboring field, per
haps from another variety OF the
same kind OF grain. perhaps from a
different species.
II is the Introduction OF a strange
breed that excited the plant TO extra
production. Thereby has been unfold
ed a wonderful secret looking to in
creasing the harvests.
After many years Of painstaking eX-
pcriments 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
mure attention 20 cross breeding OF
varieties than 70 any other one thing.
IN this Burbank has led the world,
and. more than any one else, has ad-
vRnced the new movement of cross
breeding. In fact. very little can be
said 10 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 to have
induced the United States Bureau Of
a Agriculture TO advise planting the hy-
bird for the field crop. that is to pro
ouce single crop. A hybrid. OF
course is a cross between two varie-
ties 1t has been long recognized as
a principle that the mixture of va
rieties adds at least temporary
strength and development to the off
soring. Burbank has developed from
70 species OF the English walnut a
tree of extraordinary size and pro-
ductivity.
But while the hybrid crop is good.
The hybrid seeds are not. As pre-
viously indicated there is strong
tendency for the hybrid TO split up
and revert to original types Good
producing seed must be obtained in
another way The seed stock must be
kept pure and strong. Il can be kept
pure by keeping It removed from sim
liar crops. 1t can be kept strong by
selecting only the best seed.
The farmer must, therefore return
% the original strain each year TO
obtain foundation for good yield
II is for this reason that the plant
breeder maintains his well cared for
seed plats where only the pure strain
IS developed. II IS 10 these plats he
must go each year to get a potentially
strong seed 10 mix with another po-
entially strong seed from another
such plat 10 obtain a heavy yielding
hybrid.
Doubtless many farmers have Won
dered why they have not obtained big