May 1, 1909 



HORTICULTURE 



6S3 



OUTLOOK FOR PLANT BREEDING. 



A Paper by Dr. H, J. Webber, Cornell 

 University. 



{Contznufti Jrom page 402) 



Variations. 



The fact that we can improve plants 

 depends upon the occurrence of varia- 

 tions. No two plants are alike in all 

 respects, and while the difference lie- 

 tween individuals of the same species 

 or variety is ordinarily slight, still 

 there occasiona,ily occurs a marked va- 

 riation or sport which may be of an 

 entirely different and new type. Breed- 

 ers now recognize tliree types of varia- 

 tions: fluctuations, mutations and va- 

 riations due to hybridization. Fluctu- 

 ating variations are the slight individ- 

 ual variations which are not consid- 

 ered to he heritable, but which are 

 doubtless in some degree transmitted. 

 In the case of mutations or sports, as 

 gardeners call them, we have a varia- 

 tion of larger riegree which in general 

 reproduces its characters through the 

 seed. A typical illustration of such a 

 variation is found in the Dwarf Cupid 

 sweet pea, which was suddenly pro- 

 duced from one of the ordinary tall 

 sorts, and which reproduced its charac- 

 ter in its progrny. It is the discovery 

 of these striking variations or muta- 

 tions which have given rise to the 

 great majority of our new varieties of 

 cultivated plants. This is particularly 

 true in the cereals, vegetables, and all 

 plants regularly propagated by seeds. 

 Fultz and Gold Coin wheat were sui h 

 chance discoveries of mutations repro- 

 ducing true to seed. Among fruits a 

 large share of our standard varieties 

 were found as accidental variations, 

 but here in many cases accidental hy- 

 bridization is probably responsible for 

 the variation. 



The use of variations produced by 

 hybridization is of the greatest im- 

 portance, but is well understood by 

 horticulturists and need not be dis- 

 cussed in detail. 



Producing Variations by Artificial 

 IVIeans. 



One of the great practical problems 

 before breeders is to learn how to 

 produce variations, specially muta- 

 tions, by artificial means. They are 

 evidently the result of changed con- 

 ditions of some sort, but what these 

 conditions are which influence the 

 changes should be understood so 

 that the breeder may force the varia- 

 tion and not be compelled to await the 

 slow and uncertain action of natural 

 causes. Experiments have indicated 

 that mutations may be stimulated by 

 Injections into the plant, of chemical 

 solutions such as zinc sulphate, cal- 

 cium nitrate, and the like, and many 

 experiments on this method are now 

 in progress. 



Other experiments and observations 

 Indicate that very great changes in 

 temperature at certain periods in the 

 life of the plant may lead it to pro- 

 duce mutations. Experiments are be- 

 ing conducted also in feeding plants 

 with different chemical solutions and 

 out of the mass of evidence now being 



accumulated it seems probable that 

 some method will be discovered by 

 which we may induce plants to produce 

 these marked changes or mutations 

 which are of such value to the 

 breeder. It does not now seem proba- 

 ble that we will be able to guide the 

 direction of the change but if we can 

 increase the number of the variations 

 we will increase our chances of getting 

 the ones showing desirable improve- 

 ments. 



Bud Variation. 



The importance of breeders giving 

 careful attention to bud variation was 

 emphasized by the speaker. We know 

 that occasionally a tree will produce 

 on one branch a variety of fruit dif- 

 ferent from that on the rest of the 

 tree, and the same is true with flow- 

 ers. The cause of this is a change that 

 takes place in the bud instead of 

 through the seed and sexual reproduc- 

 tion. Every tree is of a complex na- 

 ture and every bud on a tree differs 

 from every other bud on the same tree. 

 As simple and fundamental as this 

 truth is, it is scarcely recognized as 

 it is difficult to find anywhere an or- 

 chard in which buds used for budding 

 or grafting have been selected. It is 

 generally recognized that buds repro- 

 duce their kind when used in propa- 

 gation. If we take buds from a Bald- 

 win apple tree they produce Baldwin 

 apples, but horticulturists know that 

 the fruit of Baldwin apples from 

 Colorado, Washington, Arizona and 

 New York, regions differing widely in 

 climate and altitude, are of different 

 shapes, color and flavor. No evidence 

 is available to prove that these 

 changes are not something inherited. 

 If we examine the trees in an orchard 

 of Baldwin apples, we may find one 

 tree that will produce well and another 

 immediately lay its side which is a 

 poor producer, and yet they are both 

 Baldwin apple trees; both have all 

 the characteristics of the Baldwin, one, 

 however, is a good producer and the 

 other is not. It is these latter good 

 yielders that bring in the money. We 

 have evidence to show that these good 

 and bad characters are largely trans- 

 mitted to the bud progeny, yet we pay 

 almost no attention to the plants from 

 which we select buds or cuttings. An 

 orchard will last for a hundred years, 

 and we plant largely for our children, 

 yet we pay little heed to the selection 

 of the buds which we use in propaga- 

 tion. 



Inducement to Experiment. 

 In conclusion the speaker urged 

 every horticulturist and farmer to 

 adopt a breeding fad, to select some 

 one plant which they will breed, as 

 Jersey cows and Berkshire hogs are 

 now bred. It costs an apple grower 

 nothing to make a few hybrids of dif- 

 ferent varieties each year. The seeds 

 of these hybrids can be grown in a 

 corner of the garden at little expense 

 until they produce sprouts two or 

 three feet high when, buds or scions 

 can be taken and top worked into 

 large trees. Such experiments if made 

 generally would unquestionably, in a 

 short time, result in the discovery of 

 many improved varieties and the 

 names of their producers would go 

 down in history as have the names of 

 Colonel Baldwin, the originator of the 

 Baldwin apple and John Bull, the orig- 

 inator of the Concord grape. 



NEW HEAD GARDENER FOR PRO- 

 VIDENCE PARKS. 



We are sorry to learn that Joseph 

 D. Fitts, for many years superinten- 

 dent of Roger Williams Park, Provi- 

 dence, R. I., has resigned the position, 

 for Mr. Fitts is a most estimable 

 gentleman and an ideal official. But 

 we are pleased in an equal degree to 

 know that Mr. Fitts' successor is a 

 gardener so capable and popular as 

 Fred. C. Greene. Mr. Greene has been 

 tor eleven years engaged in the lay- 

 ing out of Senator Aldrich's estate on 

 Warwick Neck, now acknowledged to 

 be one of the most beautiful in New 

 England. Mr. Greene is an Engllsh- 



Fred C. Greene. 



man and learned his art on the estate 

 of Lord Rosebery. He spent eight 

 years on the Cheney estate at Welles- 

 ley and the Lawrence place at Med- 

 ford. Mass., before going to Rhode 

 Island. 



A TENDER APPRECIATION. 



The widow of John Scott whose sud- 

 den death was noted in our last issue, 

 desires to express to his many friends 

 who so tenderly and lavishly demon- 

 strated their love for him, in their 

 presence and beautiful floral memen- 

 tos, her sincere appreciation of their 

 kindness and sympathy. 



In her great affliction, the memory 

 of this universal token to his life and 

 character will remain a constant con- 

 solation. 



565 Midwood street, Brooklyn. 



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