DAIRY AXD SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. 



PRINCIPLES OF PLANT IMPR0VEMB:NT. 



Prof, Arthur W. Gilbert, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. 



(Stenographic report.) 



For the few moments allotted me this afternoon, I wish to 

 discuss with you some of the fundamentals of plant breeding, 

 and as I go along I shall attempt to apply these principles to 

 the crops in which we are most interested. 



Why do we hear so much about plant breeding at the present 

 time? If you stop to think of it, the reason is obvious: It is 

 the time when we are studying carefully all the factors in the 

 process of plant growing. We have now come to a point 

 where we are analyzing the whole of business, one thing at a 

 time, and trying to find out where the weak points are, and 

 by remedying these we hope to be able to bring the raising of 

 crops in particular, to a higher state of efficiency than it is 

 now. You all know what that means when measured in dollars 

 and cents. 



One of the weakest links in the whole chain is the seed. 

 Farmers in general are getting to be pretty careful in buying 

 fertilizers. We have laws requiring that the analysis be placed 

 on the fertilizer bag and farmers are getting to know very well 

 what nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash mean and what they 

 do. The analyses of feeds are quite well known by our farm- 

 ers ; they know what protein, fat, carbohydrates and crude fiber 

 do and do not accomplish. ' 



We have efficient seed laws, but I think, usually, they are 

 far behind our fertilizer and feed laws, especially in some of 

 the states. As a matter of fact, it seems to me there is more 

 looseness in buying seed than in buying anything else. When 

 we buy our seed we do not know, in many cases. w4iere it has 

 been grown ; whether it has had any particular breeding ; 

 whether it is adapted to our particular conditions ; we know 

 nothing about its purity, its uniformity, or its power of germi- 



