CORN growers' association. 63 



to get the best corn available. This, I believe, is the only sure way to 

 keep corn pure. But I fear it will be a hard matter to get the farmers 

 of any given locality to see the benefit of following such a plan, which, 

 in the end, would be of great benefit to everyone. 



Let us hope that the farmers of this great commonwealth will 

 profit by the mistakes of the past, work more zealously to bring her 

 agricultural resources to their full capacity, and greater prosperity to 

 all her people. 



CORN BREEDING METHODS. 



(Hon. J. D. Funk, Bloomington, 111.) 



Gentlemen of Missouri: I was with you about two years ago, I 

 think, at a meeting similar to this ; and I want to say that since that time 

 there has been a great improvement in Missouri's State meeting. At 

 that last meeting I attended a few men were gathered together and we 

 discussed problems of great moment among ourselves, and we could 

 talk in whispers and be heard by the entire audience. I can see that this 

 influence for betterment has been exerted by your Agricultural School 

 and by Mr. Ellis ; and Missouri, for hundreds of years, cannot pay this 

 institution and this gentleman too high a tribute. They have done a 

 wonderful work. I am very glad to see it. I have attended many other 

 state meetings of a like character to this, and have never seen more in- 

 tense enthusiasm and interest than is shown here. 



To all the well-informed farmers it is quite unnecesary, I am sure, 

 to go into details and explain to you the great strides that have been 

 made by plant breeders of the United States and abroad, or to explain 

 the great work that is being done by such men in America as Hays in 

 Minnesota with his wheat, his variety of wheat, No. 65, I believe it is, 

 that raises six bushels more to the acre by its great power of produc- 

 tion than the average wheat in Minnesota ; and the great Dr. Weber of 

 the Department of Agriculture, in his breeding of an orange-hybrid, in 

 which he is trying to establish a hardy variety of oranges that will 

 extend the orange belt two or three hundred miles north of the present 

 orange belt. You have all heard of Burbank of California, the wizard 

 of plant-breeding, who has done marvelous things along the line of 

 flowers and fruits. He is making wonderful progress in the development 

 of plants. You are all familiar with his work, I know. But let me im- 

 press this fact upon you, that plant breeding in America will bring further 

 and more diversified benefits, comforts and more prosperity to the Amer- 



