Cultivation. 387 



(5) That the character of winter surface cover, in other words, 

 desirable cover crops, is a question of paramount importance in northern 

 Mississippi Valley States. 



(6) That the matter of congenial and hardy stocks for plums, apples 

 and cherries is a subject worthy the earnest attention of experiment 

 station workers and nurserymen in the northwest. — -American Garden- 

 ing. 



IMPKOVEMENT OF PLANTS BY SELECTION. 



In the year book of the Department of Agriculture for 1898, H. J. 

 Webber has an article on "The Improvement of Plants by Selection.'' 



Regarding the possibilities of persistent and methodical selection, 

 Mr. Webber says : 



"Formerly the proportion of lint in cotton to the seed, by weight, 

 was about 1 to 5. Now it is frequently 1 to 3. Mr. W. A. Clark, a 

 grower who bred towards a long fiber, has succeeded in increasing the 

 length 25 to 30 per cent and sells his finest grades form selected plants 

 at 50 to 60 cents per pound, while the ordinary product is quoted at 15 

 to 30 cents. This long fiber is used for adulterating silk and for other 

 special purposes. In a similar manner another grower bred towards a 

 heavier yield. 



"The method of selecting is interesting. The progeny of a single 

 carefully selected individual is cultivated in a plot by itself. The best 

 plant is chosen for the next year. The seed from the plot sows about five 

 acres, and this then furnishes the seed for the general crop the fourth 

 year. But, since each year the finest plant is chosen from the five 

 hundred for seeding the five acres, there is a constant tendency towards 

 the ideal." 



Again Mr. Webber says: "In selecting seed it is important that 

 not merely the seed or fruit but the entire individual should be taken 

 into consideration. Henri de Vilmorin says: 'I tried an experiment wdth 

 seeds of chrysanthemum carinatum gathered on double, single, and semi- 

 double deads, all growing on one plant, and found no difference whatever 

 in the proportion of single and double-flowered plants.' If one were 

 selecting seeds it would be better to choose from a plant which bore uni- 



