104 THE SEED-GROWER. 



nothing like what may be expected in the future, now 

 that a greater public interest is being created in the 

 subject by the efforts of the press, the publication of 

 text-books on the science, and notably by the special 

 investigations which are being made from time to time 

 under governmental supervision by experts in our 

 national Department of Agriculture. 



The scope afforded by nature in which to perform 

 experiments for the improvement of plant-structure not 

 only takes in all plants at present under cultivation, 

 but includes, for practical purposes, the possible subjec- 

 tion, through amelioration, of many wild species now 

 regarded beyond the pale of utility. 



Qualities Requisite for Success in Plant-Breed- 

 ing. In the practice of plant-breeding, there are 

 especially called for the following prime requisites: 

 patience, persistence, and keenness of power of observa- 

 tion. Having these, the experimenter will find, besides 

 a prospect of pecuniary reward, a fascination in the 

 work, with a wholesome, pleasant relaxation from the 

 monotony that usually pertains to most garden and 

 field labor. 



Seed-Trade Offers Greatest Stimulus for Pro- 

 duction of New Varieties. Plant-breeding as it 

 relates to vegetables and flowers, receives its greatest 

 encouragement and stimulus at the hands of the seed- 

 trade, by the custom which prevails in that business of 

 purchasing the privilege of introducing a new variety. 

 The manner in which this is done is: a seedsman pays 

 the highest price for first seed of the new variety, or 

 buys up or contracts for the entire crop produced from 

 the first seed; either of which constitutes a privilege of 

 introduction, as it thereby secures market control of the 

 sale of seed of the new sort for the time being. A 



