The Forward Movement in Plant-Breeding 321 



Instruction in plant-breeding in the United States. One 

 of the most, if not the most, significant advances that 

 plant-breeding has made in recent years is the increase in 

 the amount of instruction given in the agricultural colleges 

 and other agricultural schools. 



Formerly, the only teaching of this subject was in 

 connection with a course of horticulture, probably, 

 and the breeding was likely to receive minor considera- 

 tion. 



All of this has been changed. Strong courses are 

 given in this subject in all of the agricultural colleges. 

 Some go so far as to have separate departments. or divi- 

 sions in which the staff devotes all of its time to plant- 

 breeding instruction and investigations. It is estimated 

 that over two thousand students receive regular plant- 

 breeding instruction each year in this country. This is 

 bound to have tremendous influence upon practical 

 plant improvement on the farms of the country. Plant- 

 breeding holds a very prominent place in the instruction 

 given to short-term students, as it should, and in the 

 form of various extension enterprises. 



Luther Burbank. In addition to the large number of 

 plant-breeders who have some official connection with 

 the state experiment stations or the federal government, 

 there has always been a number of men who have 

 maintained private plant-breeding establishments. Chief 

 among these is Luther Burbank. He will always be given 

 a prominent place in American horticulture because of the 

 many and valuable varieties which he has added to it. 



The practical results, however, that Mr. Burbank has 

 secured have been praised by the writers beyond reason. 



