212 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



degree. Bj careful and intelligent breeding, any peculiarity may be 

 made permanent, and there appears to be no limit to the improvement 

 of plants. Cultivation and care may help plants temporarily, but hj 

 breeding plants may be produced which will do better work in all 

 places and for all time. 



W. A. Orton, of this Department, read a pai)er on the Breeding of 

 Disease-Resistant Varieties, in which a resume was given of work 

 being carried on by the Bureau of Plant Industry. The wilt disease 

 of cotton, cowpeas, and watermelon was described and photographs 

 and material shown. As a result of continued selection of resistant 

 varieties, it was stated, Sea Island cotton is now grown in regions 

 which had Ijeen practically abandoned on account of the destruction 

 caused by the wilt. No varieties are wholly resistant, but a number . 

 of strains have been found which are to a great degree able to resist 

 the fungus. In general, upland cotton seems less resistant to wilt 

 than Sea Island, and Egyptian varieties are more resistant than any 

 of the others. The work so far has been one of selection, since 

 hybridization is not practicable, as it tends to destroy the merchant- 

 able character of the fiber. Similar results in the selection of cowpeas 

 and watermelons were cited, and the author believes that many other 

 varieties of plants may yet ])e found that are resistant to disease. 



W. M. Hays, of the ]Minnesota Station, presented a paper on Breeding 

 for Intrinsic Qualities. He believed the value of plants and animals 

 annually produced in this country could be readily increased 10 per 

 cent at an expense of less than 1 per cent. The greatest financial 

 gains would probably be secured by the improvement of a score of 

 plants and about 4 species of animals. By carefull}^ growing and 

 testing many thousands of individuals there will frei^uently be found 

 some one individual of such superior merit as to repay all expense. 

 In any hybridization woi'k a good foundation stock must first be pro- 

 duced upon which to base the new varieties. The importance of 

 working with large numbers of individuals and the value of correlated 

 qualities wer(^ pointed out. During the progress of the work various 

 side lines may enter, but these must Ijc held subordinate to the main 

 idea which controls the experiment. In choosing varieties, often very 

 perplexing proljhnns arise. As a rule crosses should be made between 

 individuals which closeh^ approximate the ideal, and not between those 

 which are too dissimilar. An illustration of the value of using large 

 numbers was given in the experiments in breeding wheats. To l)egin 

 with, 5()0 plants were examined for foundation stock and tested froni 

 3 to 5 j^ears to see that they came true to seed. After continuing the 

 work this length of time, all were rejected but about 50, which were 

 given a field trial. This work has been contiiuied, large numbers of 

 individuals T)eing constantly grown, and as a result 2 or 3 varieties 

 have been found which are intrinsically of great value. In wheat 



