118 



corresponding to the American bi?on which formerly occupied the ranges. He 

 becomes heavy in front and light behind. 



AYliat has been gained 1)y l)reeding in one place may be quickly lost under 

 clianges of environment and State. This is one of tlie strongest arguments for 

 the maintenance of experiment stations in the several States, where work can 

 be done suitable and valuable to the different regions of the country. In order 

 that the farmers can make intelligent use of the results of our breeding they 

 umst be informed of its importance and learn to select, in order to keep up the 

 improvement. In general, undirected variation brings about deterioration. 

 Varieties do not stand still, whether or not they are being acted upon by the 

 powerful forces used in artificial direction of breeding, and every farmer should 

 be well enough grounded in the simpler principles at least to enable him to make 

 continued use of an improvement. 



L. II. Pammel. of Iowa. A nunilter of years ago I had the good fortune to 

 have taken up this question of varieties of fi'uits. I was astonished to find the 

 effect that climate has upon the development of fruit. The Duchess grown in 

 jNlontreal is very different from the Duchess grown in lown. The Montreal 

 apple was far sui)orior in quality. Again, I found that apples succeeded best or 

 had tlie highest (luality n-hen grown where they had originated. Thus, such 

 varieties as Spitzenburg, Baldwin, Grimes Golden, and others have a limited 

 distrilmtion where they attain the best quality. I was astonished last summer 

 to find in IMontana that allies succeeded in regions where frequent frosts occur. 

 In fact I was told that in the I>itter Hoot Valley on one of the streams they had 

 set out an orchard of fruit trees above 3,000 feet altitude, where frosts occur 

 nearly every week in the year. But take another side of the question, and that 

 is an important one to consider in connection with the breeding of varieties. 

 Take the variety of wheat that Professor Hays has produced in ^linnesota. This 

 variety has produced an increased yield in Minnesota, but the same variety tried 

 in the State of Iowa did not show this increase in yield. Again we all know 

 that plants when grown in climates not adapted to them begin to show the 

 effects of disease. Some years ago when I was investigating the disease of oats, 

 and especially the variety most subject to the disease, I found that the Texas 

 P.ust Proof oat was severely affected with rust, but it is said to have been rust 

 proof in Texas. We know then that climate is an important factor and that 

 eiich region must do its own work in connection with tlie production of varieties. 

 The varieties of wheat that ha^e succeeded best in Minnesota will not do for 

 Vk^'yoming, and so on. 



Professor Hays's paper was further discussed by W. H. Jordan, C. D. Smith, 

 C. A. Keffer, C. G. Hopkins, and II. T. French. 



For further discussion of the subject of plant breeding, see page 119. 



Afternoon Session, AVednesday, November 2, 1904. 



Nomination of Officers. 



The chair was authorized to api)oint a conunittee of three to present nomina- 

 tions for the officers of the section, including two memljers of the executive 

 committee. The committee appointed consisted of H. P. Armsby, of Pennsyl- 

 Tauia ; W. A. Henry, of Wisconsin, and R. J. Redding, of Georgia. (For report, 

 &ee p. G5. ) 



Topics for Discussion next Ye.\k. 



On motion the subjects of soil investigation and of demon.stration work by the 

 stations were selected for discussion at the next annual meeting of the section. 



