106 INTENSIVE FARMING 



of the behavior of the first generation hybrid 

 combined with carefully worked out laws of in- 

 heritance. By taking advantage of the con- 

 stancy of the first generation hybrid to perpetu- 

 ate certain form and color characters which 

 have been determined to be dominant, this gen- 

 tleman is able to produce seed superior to that 

 grown by anyone else. 



This success in scientific breeding is equally 

 a success from a financial standpoint, for this 

 petunia seed sells readily at $100 per ounce, the 

 highest priced commercial seed in the world. 

 An ounce of seed can be produced on i-ioo of 

 an acre, or at the rate of $10,000 per acre. 

 This, like many other industries, looks good on 

 paper and is in reality a good and profitable in- 

 dustry. The " fly in the ointment " is due to 

 the fact that a great amount of the most care- 

 ful and painstaking effort is required in this 

 work and as the season is limited and man's 

 abilities are restricted, a few ounces (6 to 10) 

 measure the possibilities of the individual in any 

 given season. But even if the seed cannot be 

 grown by the acre and the product measured in 

 tons, what other industry would in a few months 

 return from one-tenth of an acre so large a re- 

 turn? Other flower seeds are profitably grown, 

 but none produce such returns. 



