358 Journal of Agriculture. Yichnia. [10 June, I9I2_ 



BREEDING CROP PLANTS— 



The time has gone by when any kind of seed will do in farming, and 

 if the industry is to hold its own it must procure the best for each purpose. 

 The difference in yield from good and from indifferent seed often amounts- 

 to more than the annual value of the land. Much can be done by grading 

 and selection from existing types, but in many cases the selective process- 

 must be preceded by artificial crossing in order to obtain the characters 

 desired. The cross-breeding of plants follows the same laws as the cross- 

 breeding of animals, but it is a more tedious affair, and it has another 

 drawback in the eyes of the farmer. A good breeder of live-stock can 

 obtain high prices for his annual drafts for stud purposes, and hope to do 

 as well again next year, but the plant breeder when he begins to sell, 

 ruins his market. The difference lies in th'e nature of the case. It seems- 

 to be for this reason that improvement in live-stock has progressed under 

 private enterprise, while a corresponding improvement in crop plants must 

 be sought for under public control. \n the Arb. Deut. Landw. GeselU 

 1910, appears a history of German plant breeding, including a description 

 of the work carried on at the present time in both public and private insti- 

 tutions. As pointed out in this work, Germany has to-day 43 breeders of 

 winter rye, 3 of spring rye, 61 of winter wheat, 23 of spring wheat, 5 of 

 winter barley, 60 of spring barley, 53 of oats, 23 of fodder beets, 21 of 

 sugar beets. 17 of potatoes, 4 of kale, carrots, and similar crops. 8 of 

 clover.<% and grasses, and 28 of leguminous plants. As the best variety of 

 any crop for one country is rarely the best for the conditions of another^ 

 there is an immense field for the breeder of Australian types. 



COLD STORAGE— 



The United States Department of Agriculture {Annual Report, igii), 

 has just concluded a special investigation into the economic results of cold 

 storage. The business has assumed large proportions. Of the total pro- 

 duction during the last year 13I per cent, of the eggs were placed in cold 

 storage; fresh beef over 3 per cent. ; mutton over 4 per cent. ; fresh pork 

 ii| per cent. ; creamery butter 25 per cent. The cost of storage includes 

 charge for space (either by month or season), interest on the value of_ the 

 stored produce, and lastly insurance. When these three costs are combined 

 they amount per month to 0.437 of ^ cent for fresh beef; for mutton- 

 C.352; for pork 0.398; poultry 0.446; and for butter 0.571. all per lb. 

 For eggs the costs are 0.593 of i cent per dozen per month. Cold storage 

 has with certain commodities shown a strong tendency to equalize the 

 monthly prices throughout the year particularly in regard to butter, eggs, 

 poultry, and fresh mutton. This fact was established b\ converting the 

 mean price of each commodity for each month into a percentage of the 

 mean price for the whole year, and then comparing the monthly variations 

 in 1902-11 with the variations before 1893 when cold storage first became 

 able to affect prices. For butter and eggs, besides equalizing prices from 

 month to month, cold storage has raised the average prices for the whole 

 year ; the calculations involved here were complicated and were not applied 

 to the other commodities. An aspect of cold storage referred to is the 

 facility which it affords for speculation in perishable goods by wholesale 

 dealers holding for a rise, and it is concluded that " this business of stor- 

 ing goods has grown to such proportions that consumers have a rightful 

 concern with its management for economic as well as sanitary reasons." 



