CAN WE BREED HARDINESS INTO TREES AND PLANTS ? 325 



apparently equal in hardiness or nearly so to the Duchess, while 

 the apple is entirely separate as an eating apple. Among my seed- 

 lings I believe I have an uncrossed seedling of the Perry Russet 

 which is decidedly hardier than the Perry Russet. I have no 

 question in my mind but that it is an uncrossed seedling of the 

 Perry Russet. I have also a seedling of the Fameuse that is from 

 fifty to seventy per cent more hardy than the Fameuse itself. There 

 is no question about the improvement in hardiness, but in all of our 

 crosses we could not expect it. When we undertake to cross our 

 fruits, we do not know what we are doing. We have just begun, 

 and we cannot expect to make a very great advance perhaps in the 

 first one or two changes. 



There is one thought I wish to speak of that was brought up by 

 Mr. Wedge in his report, and also in the paper by Mr. Boss, and 

 that is in reference to selection of seeds that are planted. Now, we 

 have almost unlimited opportunities to select seed. We can select 

 them until we are made almost crazy, and we do not know what 

 the seedlings will produce, but, as I take it, we have come to the 

 point where we want a little more scientific work done in that line. 

 We have simply been gathering seed and planting them, and I 

 think the thought should be very strongly impressed on our minds 

 that we should know just as far as possible the history of the tree 

 from which the seed is taken. Everything should be known with 

 reference to the plants and trees that we grow, and when we look 

 out for that we shall make better progress than we have made. 

 I think this is a question that needs a great deal of emphasis and a 

 great deal of study. 



The President : Do you think, Mr. Patten, with your experience 

 in the past years, that this feature of an auxiliary plant breeders' 

 association can be made of service in bringing about more intelligent 

 conditions ? 



Mr. Patten : I certainly do, and I do not know how it could be 

 otherwise. When you devote a session like this to a special line of 

 work and call out the best thought you have in your association and 

 in the plant breeder's work at the station, I do not see why you 

 should not advance very rapidly beyond anything we have already 

 done. I think it is a great step that you have taken here for the 

 advancement of horticulture in this northwestern country. 

 (Applause.) 



