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  also 
  (B) 
  serve 
  as 
  the 
  greatest 
  factor 
  in 
  the 
  conservation 
  of 
  our 
  

   resources. 
  

  

  (A) 
  Our 
  agriculture 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  depends 
  chiefly 
  

   upon 
  the 
  grains 
  which 
  were 
  improved 
  by 
  selection 
  in 
  pre-his- 
  

   toric 
  times, 
  because 
  they 
  were 
  annuals 
  and 
  quick 
  yielders. 
  The 
  

   heavy 
  yielding 
  plants, 
  the 
  engines 
  of 
  nature, 
  are 
  the 
  trees, 
  which 
  

   have 
  in 
  most 
  cases 
  remained 
  unimproved 
  and 
  largely 
  unused 
  

   until 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  slowness 
  of 
  their 
  genera- 
  

   tions 
  and 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  knowledge 
  concerning 
  plant 
  breeding. 
  

  

  We 
  now 
  know 
  something 
  about 
  plant 
  breeding, 
  and 
  its 
  pos- 
  

   sibilities 
  as 
  applied 
  to 
  the 
  crop 
  yielding 
  trees 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  enor- 
  

   mous. 
  They 
  certainly 
  warrant 
  immediate 
  and 
  widespread 
  effort 
  

   at 
  plant 
  breeding. 
  A 
  member 
  of 
  this 
  Association 
  has 
  shown 
  

   that 
  the 
  chinquapin 
  can 
  be 
  crossed 
  with 
  the 
  oak; 
  that 
  all 
  the 
  

   walnuts 
  freely 
  hybridize 
  with 
  each 
  other 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  open 
  bud 
  

   hickories, 
  a 
  class 
  which 
  includes 
  the 
  toothsome 
  and 
  profitable 
  

   pecan. 
  There 
  is 
  in 
  California 
  a 
  tree 
  which 
  is 
  considered 
  to 
  be 
  

   a 
  cross 
  between 
  the 
  native 
  walnut 
  and 
  the 
  live 
  oak. 
  The 
  Men- 
  

   delian 
  Law 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  past 
  achievements 
  in 
  plant 
  breed- 
  

   ing, 
  and 
  the 
  experiments 
  of 
  Loeb 
  in 
  crossing 
  the 
  sea 
  urchin 
  

   and 
  the 
  star 
  fish 
  are 
  profoundly 
  suggestive. 
  

  

  The 
  possibilities 
  of 
  plant 
  breeding 
  as 
  applied 
  to 
  crop 
  yield- 
  

   ing 
  trees 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  enormous. 
  They 
  certainly 
  warrant 
  im- 
  

   mediate 
  and 
  widespread 
  effort 
  toward 
  the 
  creation 
  of 
  useful 
  

   strains 
  which 
  may 
  become 
  the 
  basis 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  agriculture 
  yield- 
  

   ing 
  food 
  for 
  both 
  man 
  and 
  the 
  domestic 
  animals. 
  

  

  (B) 
  The 
  time 
  for 
  constructive 
  conservation 
  has 
  come. 
  Our 
  

   most 
  vital 
  resource 
  is 
  the 
  soil. 
  It 
  is 
  possibly 
  the 
  only 
  resource 
  

   for 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  substitute. 
  Its 
  destruction 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  

   irreparable 
  waste. 
  So 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  earth 
  remains 
  in 
  place 
  the 
  

   burnt 
  forest 
  may 
  return 
  and 
  the 
  exhausted 
  field 
  may 
  be 
  restored 
  

   by 
  scientific 
  agriculture. 
  But 
  once 
  the 
  gully 
  removes 
  this 
  soil, 
  

   it 
  is 
  the 
  end 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  our 
  civilization 
  is 
  concerned 
  — 
  forest, 
  field 
  

   and 
  food 
  are 
  impossible 
  and 
  even 
  water 
  power 
  is 
  greatly 
  im- 
  

   paired. 
  Our 
  present 
  system 
  of 
  agriculture, 
  depending 
  upon 
  the 
  

   grains, 
  demands 
  the 
  plowing 
  of 
  hillsides 
  and 
  the 
  hillsides 
  wash 
  

   away. 
  This 
  present 
  dependence 
  upon 
  the 
  plow 
  means 
  that 
  

   one-third 
  of 
  our 
  soil 
  resources 
  is 
  used 
  only 
  for 
  forest, 
  one-third 
  

   is 
  being 
  injured 
  by 
  hillside 
  erosion, 
  and 
  only 
  one-third, 
  thelevelest, 
  

   is 
  being 
  properly 
  used 
  for 
  plow 
  crops. 
  

  

  