NOTES. 697 



W. II. Scherftius prescntod a rci^n't on Tobacco Breeding in Kentucky. Atten- 

 tion was called tt> the fact that Kentucky produces more than one-third of the 

 outiHit of tobacco of the Iniled States, and fertilizer and variety tests were 

 reported. White Burley tobacco has given better results than crosses of this 

 variety with Connecticut, Havana, and Sumatra varieties. The protectitm of the 

 seed heads from cross fertilization by bagging and the use of the seed sepa- 

 rator liave resulted in the production of better and more uniform crops. 



C W. Waid re])nrted the Results of Ilill Selecticni of Seed I'otatoes. Seed was 

 selected from high and low yielding hills and from hills resistant to disease, the 

 work being carried on at the Ohio Station for three years. In general the 

 I'esults showed an increase* in the yield of potatoes when the seed had been 

 selected from high-yielding hills, and a decrease when the seed had been selected 

 from low-yielding hills. The selection of seed from high-yielding hills is there- 

 fore reconnnended. Selection from hills showing resistance to early blight has 

 given very encouraging results. 



The Improvement of Sugar ("ane by Selection and Breeding was discussed by 

 C. O. Townsend. Several ditticulties encountered in the improvement of sugar 

 eanc l>y vegetative selection or !>reeding were mentioned, such as confusion of 

 names, nonstability of characters, and size and position of flowers. The prin- 

 eipal points aimed at by cane breeders were enumerated and sunnned up in the 

 statement that the cane most desired is the one that will yield the largest quan- 

 tity of sugar per acre with the greatest certainty and the least expense. In the 

 work already done much progress has been made in increasing the yield of cane 

 and also the sugar content, in securing varieties more or less resistant to disease, 

 and In developing varieties suited to different soil and climtitlc conditions. 

 ImpTMvement by seminal variation has so far given the most satisfactory results. 



.7. E. W. Tracy discussed Breeding of Sugar Beets to Increase the Sugar Con- 

 tent and Yield Per Acre and the Encouragement of the Sugar-beet-seed Industry 

 in America. It was considered possible to increase the available sugar in sugar 

 beets grown in the United States at least 2 per cent by the use of better seed, 

 and also in the same manner to increase the yield of sugar beets per acre to a 

 marked extent. Mention was made of the efforts being put forth in this country 

 to establish pedigree strains of seed. Sugar-beet growers were virged to jiroduce 

 their own seed, in which work the Department of Agriculture is willing to 

 cooperate. 



lu discussing the Breeding of Clover. S. M. Bain reported finding individual 

 clover plants very resistant to disease. 



A paper by F. Dorner, sr., on Carnation Breeding contained a brief history of 

 the carnation, a description of methods employed in breeding, and an enumera- 

 tion of the requirements of a good carnation. Breeding experiments have 1)een 

 carried on by the author since lS8f». J. B. Norton described some experiments 

 in l)reeding carnations carriinl on in the Department of Agriculture, illustrating 

 bis remarks with lantern slides showing the results of hybridization. 



The Imi)ortance of the Mutation Theory in Practical P.reeding was discussed 

 by (J. II. Siinll. The speaker called attention to the large number of imex- 

 liccled variations which have formed the starting point for the production of 

 new strains, and mentioned the need of care in order to avoid confusion in dis- 

 tinguishing mutations from forms produced by hybridization. Mutations were 

 considered the l)asis of every ])ermanent seed stniin. According to the speaker, 

 the method of breeding in order to harmonize with the nuitation theory should 

 consist in the production of as large number as possible of seedlings among 

 which to seek valuable mutations: as complete isolation of selected individuals 

 as their breeding habits will permit :ind comi)lete control of fertilization, and 

 the rearing of tlu- offspring under conditions that will .lilow all ilistinguisliing 



