PLANT BREEDING AS A PBAOTICAL PURSUIT. 317 



Flowers and fruits are grown for their beauty, their oddity or their 

 taste, with Httle attention paid to yield. Hence the occasional 

 "sport" which meets with the slightest favor is perpetuated and re- 

 tained for a longer or shorter period. 



To the young man just starting his life work it is a question in 

 his mind whether it will pay under such circumstances to indulge 

 in plant breeding as a part of his practical pursuit. It takes but 

 little time or expense to get the best, and it should always be remem- 

 bered that good, honest, conscientious work is always recognized, 

 and there is no way that a man can gain commendable, lasting 

 recognition any quicker or surer than by producing an improved 

 high grade of goods. A man cannot afford to do the minimum if 

 he is capable of doing more. If there is a certain stock that is of 

 superior quality, and it can be multiplied with a little more care 

 and work than the ordinary, and this stock would raise the quality 

 of his product, it w^ould be not only practical but a good business 

 move to use that stock as much as possible. I once saw a Wealthy 

 apple tree that was very hardy and exceptionally prolific bearing a 

 large crop of large fruit annually. It is needless to say that the 

 scions of this tree should all be used by some practical nurseryman 

 as a foundation for an improved Wealthy. I say improved because 

 improvement is not alone the bettering of the flavor or the size of 

 the fruit. The yield is the unit of measure and should not be over- 

 looked, as it most often is with our originators in horticultural 

 products. 



To the horticulturist it is a question of where can the best scions, 

 seeds or stocks to be obtained. Once these are secured it is up to him 

 to use them in the most advantageous manner. To illustrate : Sup- 

 pose there is a certain plum tree that bears heavily each year and 

 withstands disease better than others of its kind, the tree being ex- 

 ceedingly hardy and the fruit of large size throughout and a 

 little better tasting than the ordinary fruit of that variety. The 

 scions of such a tree are far more valuable than the average lot 

 and should be eagerly sought for and made the foundation of an 

 entire stock. 



It is far easier to take the first scion that comes within reach, 

 and it is equally as easy to breed the variety poorer instead of richer 

 in quality. I was greatly surprised in talking with a young horticul- 

 turist some time ago when he told me that "he could not afford to 

 spend the time to get selected scions for his grafting. He was just 

 starting and got his stock from here and there without reference to 

 the parentage." He must "make a reputation first" before he could 

 afford to go to the bother of securing the best. A little inquiry has 

 shown that the reputation was rapidly being made. Several who 

 got young trees from this man say that "they have bought all they 



