The Forward Movement in Plant-Breeding 309 



mercial breeding agencies are, of course, the professional 

 seedsmen. The demand for " novelties " is ever present 

 and the seedsman must meet it. Therefore every seeds- 

 man's catalogue each spring features them, giving them 

 a prominent place and often painted in radiant colors. 

 Everybody knows that novelties are often no better 

 than the old standard sorts. But this demand for some- 

 thing new seems to be inherent. 



It does not seem to be the common practice among 

 American seedsmen to produce their own novelties by 

 precise and recognized plant-breeding methods. Many 

 of them are purchased abroad and others are accidental 

 discoveries picked up here and there. 



Our standard sorts of seeds of all kinds are being 

 gradually improved, but usually not by any particular up- 

 to-date methods, except in certain unusual or exceptional 

 instances. The seedsmen, however, carefully rogue their 

 fields to eliminate divergent plants in an attempt to pro- 

 duce seed of more importance. 



Recently, however, the American Seed Trade Associa- 

 tion, consisting of the better class of seedsmen of the 

 United States, has begun a general movement for im- 

 proving crops by methods such as are used by careful 

 breeders at the agricultural experiment stations. A 

 committee on crop improvement has . been organized 

 whose duties are to ascertain, so far as possible, how the 

 seed trade can be most helpful in these movements for 

 better bred seed, and to bring about a close harmony 

 between the seedsmen and the plant-breeding experts of 

 the agricultural experiment stations. 



Many seedsmen feel, at present, that the extra cost 



