RELATION OF BIOLOGY TO AGRICULTURE 547 



— rendering their work more intelligent and more scientific and con- 

 sequently much more valuable. It has also drawn the attention of 

 scientific workers to economic questions, and encouraged research, 

 planned with some thought for economic interests and yet highly 

 scientific. 



Animal breeding has been influenced by Mendelism, chiefly through 

 indirect means. The practical obstacles to rearing of large numbers of 

 animals for the chance of finding some new thing has compelled animal 

 breeders to go at a much slower pace than that set by the plant breed- 

 ers. The fact that some characters of minor practical value have been 

 shown to be inherited in definite proportions has stimulated an interest 

 and study in other aspects of heredity that explains otherwise myste- 

 rious occurrences and dissipates common imscientific ideas that have 

 done much to hinder real progress. Ten years ago when the possibili- 

 ties of breeding up our farm crops were becoming apparent the ac- 

 complishments of breeders of animals were the incentive and patterns 

 for those working with plants. To-day the situation is reversed, and 

 work with plants is seen to be beset with fewer practical difficulties and 

 productive of much earlier returns than equally skillful work in the 

 animal kingdom. 



The Question of Transmission of Results of Environment of no Interest 



to Breeders 



Breeders and biologists are still far from unanimous in their opin- 

 ions of the relation of environment to heredity. This fact is no serious 

 hindrance to the breeder^s work, however, except in so far as the heat 

 and confusion which is the main product of discussions of the actual 

 role of environment, require energy that could be more profitably 

 utilized in some other way. Although a settlement of the question 

 might permit a clearer conception of heredity and facilitate scientific 

 inquiry, it could call for no considerable change in breeding practise. 

 The majority of animal breeders firmly believe that the effects of en- 

 vironment are transmitted. Mr. Burbank also believes the same of 

 plants ; but neither Mr. Burbank nor any animal breeder has attempted 

 a physiological explanation of such claimed occurrences. It is im- 

 material whether we emphasize environment or selection as the chief 

 factor in the production and maintenance of variations. Both are 

 essential, and to consider the changes in our domestic animals to be the 

 outcome of artificial selection, aided and facilitated by adjusted en- 

 vironments, is quite as satisfying from the breeder's standpoint as 

 ascribing first place to environment. Reliance upon selection, how- 

 ever, has the present advantage of being more nearly explained physio- 

 logically than is the other view. 



Breeders of to-day, especially plant breeders, recognize more clearly 



