G()2 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Many of these committees have perfected their organization, accom- 

 plished considerable work of a preliminary nature, and are now 

 actively engaged upon the duties assigned them, as indicated by the 

 reports of progress presented at the recent meeting. 



The present popularity of plant breeding is clearly evidenced by 

 (he large number of projects presented for investigation under the 

 Adams fund. These probably exceed in number those proposed in 

 any other single subject, but the wide range and grade of these under- 

 takings indicate some misconceptions as to the research character of 

 some of this work. 



These projects may be classified somewhat roughly as follows: 

 (1) Those which aim at "•improvement" in a vague and indefinite 

 way; (2) those which propose improvement and adaptation along 

 rather more definite lines, through selections made from the crops in 

 tlie field by eliminating the poorer groups rather than by isolating 

 the superior individuals; (3) systematic breeding and selection, 

 starting from the individual; (4) development of resistance to 

 disease, insect attacks, hardiness, etc., by selecting individuals wher- 

 ever found; (5) improvement through crossing and hybridizing, to 

 be followed by systematic and rigorous selection ; and (G) investiga- 

 tions into the laws of inheritance and variability, study of the corre- 

 lations of vegetative parts wdth certain qualities, etc., to secure a basis 

 for generalizations on the principles of breeding. 



These classes evidently differ quite widely from a scientific stand- 

 point and in the contribution they may be expected to make to our 

 knowledge of breeding. The question is. Where should the line be 

 drawn between the work of the plant breeder as an expert and investi- 

 gator on the one hand and that of the seedsman and nurseryman on the 

 other ? There is a marked tendency among a certain class of men to re- 

 gard the mere production of things, the general improvement of a plant 

 or an animal in some respect, as research, wholly a]Dart from any plan 

 of adding to what we know about breeding and the laws governing it. 

 These efforts consist in the adaptation of a plant to new environment, 

 improving it in resistance to drought, earliness, productiveness, its 

 composition with respect to some valuable constituent, and various 

 (lualities which go to make up excellence. Sometimes the plan does 

 not even go so far as to designate the special line of improvement, and 

 to this extent is aimless; and between this and the more specific and 

 detailed plans of operations there are all gradations. Such work 

 will usually not be along well-defined lines and methods, and unless 

 it is carried out more carefully than the plan is outlined, it can be 

 expected to add nothing of value to our methods. 



Desirable as such Avork may be from a j^urely practical standpoint, 

 it is difficult to see how it can be regarded as investigation in any true 

 sense, and there is even doubt as to whether it is not more proj^erly 



