The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-11-17


paid no particular attention To the grow
ing of fruits economically, to the meth
DDS of disease prevention, spraying and
most important of all, he knows absolute
ly nothing about packing for the market
"Our orchard demonstrations, boil
with new orchards and old ones, are in
creasing in interest There are three
orchards in the county comprising nearly
1000 young trees. My views of'improve
ment comprise possible renovation of old
orchards to save waste apples, encourag-
ing planting of young trees of standard
varieties, careful study of the market
methods. Market methods are the big
problem. We can grow but we do not
know how TO sell. / can give you many
examples of such experiences right here
in our local markets. Washington coun-
ty should develop puch more in this very
profitable industry"
Seed Selection.
Addresses were given last evening by
w. G. Stone, assistant horticulturalist of
the Vermont experiment station at Bur
lington and by A. +. Halves, state forest
er, their subjects being "Some Principles
of Seed Selection" and Improvement of
the Woodlot," respectively. Mr. Stone
said in part:
"The foundation or basis of seed selec-
| ton is variation. Variation leads to
many complications and the behavior of
characters presents many riddles which
have thus far been unsolved to entirety
What progress has been made in me
thodical way is of very recent date. 1t
is highly important that the person know
the plan with which he works before he
begins his selection. He must become
exceptionally familiar with the behavior
of the characters of the plant and know
its adaptations and variations. With an
extensive knowledge of the plant he must
form an ideal or type which he desires
to reach. All plants vary. Plants may
be made to vary by change of environ
ment or by great supply of plant food.
These variations are seldom transmitted
to the progeny of the parent unless by
constant action of the environment which
may influence the germ plasm or the
heredity stimulus of the plant. The
fact is, that really valuable varieties
have been developed and have come into
general use gradually and only after
years of patient work. Mutations may
appear and should be propagated if of
value. A mutant is sudden reorganiza-
ton or reconstruction of the characters
of plant which may produce new
species.
"The practical man should find a plant
best adapted to the environment in which |
he lives to the soil he tills, and to the
market which he supplies, or to the pur-
pose for which he uses the crop. He |
must make many selections. so that he |
may study many individuals, discarding |
those most distant from his ideal type. /
He must note the progress or repression
in the progeny and try to induce the
plant to vary about his desired type.
Changing of type does not reduce vari-
ability. Difficulties increase in selection
rapidly with number of points on which
selection is to be based.
TN plant breeding, it is desired that
he seed of the select individuals be
planted in field by themselves. This
nsures that only progeny of carefully
selected plants will be planted near to-
yether and thus no ordinary stock will
inter in as a conta mination. If the case
$ one of plants which are usually cross
ertilized in continued selection in isolat
d plots there may be a loss in vigor and
'itality.
Early selection was mass selection,
which is the sorting out of the best in
ividuals in a field using the seed col
Later breeders have practiced !
,edigree selection or culture, which is J
.eeping of records of certain individuals {
nd their progeny. This method has |
een more progressive and productive OF !
reat results. The individual is an inn 9
,ortant factor. The individual forms the
init. The progeny for several genera O
ions of the selected individual must be t
tudied, and careful observation and c
otes recorded from year to year to learn 7
he real nature and behavior of the char o
cters.
'In cases where selection is made by p
uttings, tubers, ETC., there is not any t
anger of introducing foreign parentsge. v
elections may be continued in the field
18th the remainder of the crop. Expert S
nee of breeders has left no doubt as to "
he fact that the only true starting a
ONT for the fixation of different types G.
lust be plants taken one by one" \
The address of Mr.. Stone was present
i with interesting lantern slides. t
The Care of the Woodlot. II
State Forester HAYES spoke thus: Il
Farmers are beginning to consider s
leir woodots more as regular crop pro- t.
ucers than they have in the past. A
lore intimate knowledge OF conditions 10
necessary for successful management. OF
l the past the average farmer has known 81
othing about his lot except what he il
,uld see from the wood road i,
'He is constantly STUDYING varieties of 0s