1 86 Breeding Plants and Animals, 



no doubt a temporary phase of our development. The 

 national Government is taking the lead in promoting 

 breeding and it is to be hoped that the States will make 

 it a co-operative, not a paternal work. 



The study of the foundation stocks of animals and 

 plants, and especially the creation of newly-created 

 forms, are "long-time propositions." The State ex- 

 periment stations are close to the problems, to the 

 actual stocks under development and in use. The men 

 who are to be the students of life histories of species, 

 who are to formulate plans for breeding and to direct 

 the work must be so situated that they will have long 

 tenures of office beside the objects with which they 

 work. In ten years only a start may be made. Many 

 of the plants can be bred at the stations and much plant 

 breeding by the people can be directed and assisted 

 from there. Comparatively little animal breeding can 

 be done on these public properties. To make possible 

 the use of the requisite large numbers of animals co- 

 operation with large numbers of breeders must be ar- 

 ranged. It is not likely that this will be done in an 

 adequate way unless it is subsidized by public co- 

 operation. 



Expert official service is a relatively inexpen- 

 sive form of assistance and probably in the end the 

 most effective way of using public money in animal 

 breeding, Assistance in choosing and even in pur- 

 chasing foundation stock might be admissible, but the 

 ownership of the young breeding animals should be 

 left in the regular lines of commercial production 

 where profits will push their dissemination and bring 

 them into general use. The introduction of blood 

 from foreign countries, conducting experiments on the 

 theory of breeding and the education of all the people 

 to discern and appreciate superior varieties and breeds 

 are all most legitimate forms of public aid. 



Those to whom the proposed public expense ap- 

 pears large should devote some time trying to com- 

 prehend the significance of the nine figures required 



