CHAPTER XXV 



PRACTICE OF PLANT BREEDING 



It is a very difficult matter to define the just and 

 exact relations of theory and practice. 



In theory, theory should lead just as the horse should 

 always come before the cart, but in practice this seems 

 to be most unusual. 



There are three distinct and separate principles by 

 which breeders of plants endeavour to improve their 

 special races and strains. The first and most obvious 

 course is to select the very best individual plants for seed, 

 and to breed entirely from them. The second method is 

 that of crossing or hybridising different races or strains, 

 and selecting some of the mongrels for further trials. 

 The third consists in varying or altering the conditions 

 under which the plants are grown, with the object of 

 tempting them to produce something unusual or odd, and 

 which may be of use. Sometimes these three methods 

 are combined. Indeed a great many well-known breeders 

 habitually use the first and second principles. The third 

 is at present rather unfashionable, but has nevertheless 

 produced important results. 



For the sake of clearness and common-sense, we 

 shall try to explain first some of the triumphs obtained 

 simply by selection of the best varieties. It was by this 

 method that Le Couteur of Jersey and Patrick Shirreff 

 of Haddington so greatly improved our corn and wheat 

 crops. The latter produced the celebrated Hopetown 

 oats in 1832, and during forty years of work was able 

 to place on the market four distinct varieties, all of 

 which were very valuable to his generation. Other 



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