SEEDLINGS: THEIR INCEPTION, TREATMENT AND USES. 45 



Others of better quality, and, behold, the union produces the grand 

 displaiy that was exhibited at' the state fair, and which we see here 

 today ! Mr, Lyman plants the Wealthy near Siberians, and lo, the 

 union produces the wonderful apples that have for years said to us : 

 "Set' what' you can do if you will try ! We are only chance seedlings." 

 How much more you can do if you will make more careful or intel- 

 ligent unions to secure keeping qualities !" They have associations 

 for breeders of grains, horses, fat cattle, hogs, sheep, bees, poultry, 

 dogs and cats. Why do we not have an association of fruit breeders, 

 or shall we turn our society into a breeders' association and call it 

 the "Minnesota Horticultural Breeders' Society?" 



Practical fruit breeding will require time and money, but it will 

 be worth all it' costs. Its principles should be taught in our schools. 

 Every district school in the state should have a text book upon the 

 subject, and it should be taught in every grade from the primary 

 to the graduating class. A school yard, with which I am' familiar, 

 was barren and muddy and so forbidding that steps were taken to 

 improve it. Trees were planted and have come to furnish shade and 

 beauty ; the grounds were artistically laid out and planted to shrubs 

 and flowers ; a section was reserved for a play ground, but the rest 

 was sodded and kept closely cut. One of the teachers remonstrated 

 and thought the children should have the whole ground for play, 

 but yielded tO' the argument that they had enough for that and that 

 it would be of great value for them to learn to know and care for 

 the frees and plants, admitting that she could not tell the name of a 

 single one in the yard, not even of the grass. When these con- 

 ditions prevail, is it not time that practical horticulture and plant 

 breeding were taught? A little two year old child taught me to 

 know and love flowers that I daily trampled under foot. I am sure 

 that during childhood, while the x*nind is most receptive, is the best 

 time to teach children the facts that are most intimately associated 

 with horticulture. 



I shall look to our schools of agriculture to take the lead in the 

 intelligent and practical breeding of seedlings. We are already 

 proud of what the agricultural department has done in increasing 

 the yield of wheat and flax. Let the horticultural department come 

 to the front and use a portion of the land for the breeding of hardy, 

 late keeping apples, and other kinds of fruit. Our state society has 

 $1,000 hung up as a prize. Mr. Loring offers $100 for a plum, 

 and the Jewell Nursery Co. offers $i,ooo for an improved cherry. 

 To quote the encouraging words of Luther Burbank : 



"Cultivation and care may help plants to do better work tempor- 

 arily, but by breeding plants may be brought into existence which 



