OTHER USEFUL PLANTS WHICH 

 WILL REPAY EXPERIMENT 



TRANSFORMATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS WAITING TO 

 BE MADE 



A STORY is told that, if true, gives a Mikado 

 of Japan an important place among plant 

 developers. 



The Mikado, so the story runs, was riding about 

 the country as was once the custom to inspect 

 the crops, and he espied a bunch of rice which 

 seemed to be earlier and more productive than 

 others in the same field. 



Evidently aware of one of the fundamental 

 principles of plant breeding, the Mikado directed 

 that the seed from this hill of rice should be care- 

 fully preserved and sown by itself the next season. 

 From this seed, if we are to believe the legend, a 

 superior new variety of rice was produced in 

 Japan. 



Whatever the authenticity of the story, the fact 



[VOLUME VIII CHAPTER IX] 



