THE NEED OF FRUIT-BREEDING. 173 



is the wisest kind of statesmanship to provide most liberally for 

 the support of this kind of work by the state, on land owned 

 by the state and by state employed specialists who have had the 

 best training, thorough experience and thorough scientific study 

 that they can receive. The splendid work of individual effort 

 has accomplished much — these remarks are in no sense to be 

 construed as a disparagement of such work — but the state can 

 perpetuate the effort in a way the individual cannot do. 



In this rather rambling discussion I have tried to show 

 these things : 



1. The need of fruit-breeding work for Minnesota and for 

 this whole region from Lake Michigan westward into the semi- 

 arid districts of this great central plain. 



2. The greatest advance in securing new and improved 

 plants for this region must come through work done in this 

 region. In order to get the "survival of the fittest" the plants 

 must be developed and tested under the climatic conditions which 

 exist here. 



3. Scientific methods must be followed systematically and 

 persistently in order to achieve the highest degree of success in 

 fruit-breeding for Minnesota. 



4. In addition to the work of individuals and horticultural 

 organizations, state aid is needed to secure most efficient prog- 

 ress and permanent success. 



I wish in closing to commend most heartily the fruit-breed- 

 ing work which Minnesota is doing, a work which, I believe, 

 has been accomplished largely on the initiative and by the sup- 

 port of this splendid society. The society is doing a good thing 

 for this state and the adjoining regions in helping to put fruit- 

 breeding work upon a sound and permanent foundation, estab- 

 lishing and supporting it so that it may make most permanent 

 and most efficient contributions to the progress of horticulture in 

 this splendid agricultural region. 



Mr. G. C. Hawkins : I would like to ask, what is this theory 

 in regard to sports. I am in floral work. We have a bed of 

 yellow and brown gaillardia, and out of this I have a sport, one 

 plant that is pink and white, distinctly pink and white, from the 

 same brown and yellow. I would like to know your theory about 

 this. 



Mr. S. A. Beach : I may say that we have more than one 

 kind of sports. That is to say, we have a sport which may affect 

 simply what we call the body of the plant, so that it shows in- 

 creased growth or different color or shape or size, or something 

 of that kind. Is that change to be permanent or not ? We don't 



