January, 1921. 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. 



29 



cumulative breeding, varieties exhibiting certain char- 

 acters at an unusually high ratio. 



This being the case, it is obvious that there is a 

 possibility of developing high-yielding and in other 

 respects desirable "varieties" by crossing two desir- 

 able types, preferably as similar to each other as pos- 

 sible in all characteristics, and by crossing again, gen- 

 eration after generation, plants of a tyjie as identical 

 as possible with the type represented by the two plants 

 which originally served as parent plants. 



This method of increasing the yielding power of Ked 

 Clover is, however, rather slow and the resvilts may 

 perhaps not prove commensurable with the time and 

 labour which will be necessary to obtain them. 



A more simple method leading to more speedy re- 

 sults may be successfully employed. The method in- 

 volves mass-selection of the most desirable types 

 through roguing-out of the undesirable one and is 

 api)lied as follows : A field is planted to Red Clover 

 of proven hardiness in such a manner that each indi- 

 vidual plant can be examined as to its mode of growth, 

 leafiness, etc. When the blossoming period is about 

 to begin, all inferior or otherwise undesirable plants 

 are weeded out. Seed is secured from the remaining 

 ones. This seed is then sown and the weeding out 

 operation repeated through a nundier of generations 

 until a clover showing a very small percentage of 



inferior types is obtained. The obvious advantage of 

 this method is that it permits large quantities of stock 

 seed for propagation on a commercial scale to oe 

 quickly obtained. 



The method of mass-selection may also be applied 

 for the purpose of developing what may be termed 

 "biological varieties". Thus it has been possible to 

 develop, at the Central Experimental Farm at Ottawa, 

 a "variety"' characterized by an unusual high degree 

 of perennialism. As starting material a few plants 

 were used wliicii according to observations made dur- 

 ing a number of years, were at least five years old. 

 The seed of these plants was mixed and sown in two 

 plots. The year following the seeding one hay crop 

 and one seed crop were taken from each plot. The 

 following year a rather large percentage of the plants 

 which the year previous had yielded both a hay crop 

 and a seed crop, survived, thus indicating that, by using 

 as starting material plants more than two years old, 

 it may be possible to develop a perennial type of Red 

 Clover. 



Mass-selection may perhaps not be considered very 

 scientific in this age of exact heredity investigations 

 but, applied to Red Clover, it brings results in com- 

 paratively short time and is therefore of great practical 

 importance. 



Concerning the C. S. T. A. and Its Branches 



By the GENERAL-SECRETARY 



There have been many occasions suice the Organiz- 

 ing Convention when the General-Seci'etary W(nild have 

 liked to communicate personalh' with all the members, 

 in order to keep them advised of developments taking 

 place and of other matters mutuall.y interesting. Dur- 

 ing the months of November and December it was 

 possible, when the writer attended meetings of mem- 

 bers in each of the provinces, to tell' those who were 

 present something of the progress being made and of 

 the more important work being undertaken. That in- 

 formation is embodied arul some d,etaiils added el.se- 

 where in this issue. 



The purpose of these columns is to provide a medium 

 for monthly communication between the General-Sec- 

 retary and each member and to give publicity to the 

 operations of local and provincial branches. In making 

 these items interesting and timely the mendiers should 

 co-operate fully. It is impossible for the Secretaries 

 of branches to obtain all information regarding the 

 work and movements of their members, and our imme- 

 diate purpose will best be served by direct communica- 

 tions to the General Secretary. 



CHANGES IN ADDRESSES SHOULD ALWAYS 

 BE SENT IN PROMPTLY. This is very important and 

 yet over fort.v members have changed their addresses 

 in the past two months Avitliout foi'warding advice to 

 that effect. Without a correct up-to-date list of 

 addresses, much of our usefulness will be lo.st. 



Any important work done by a member, any change 

 of position, any promotions, will afford interesting 

 news for publication. It need not be sent in by the 

 member concerned (he might forget to send it) but 

 can be forwarded by anyone in po.ssession of the desir- 



ed information. The main object, as stated before, is 

 to provide a channel through' which the members may 

 communicate by nuiking use of the columns of Scien- 

 tific Agriculture— and this is admittedly one of the 

 objects for which the C. S. T. A. was formed. These 

 pages will then become a very interesting record. 



The operations and activities of branches of the 

 Society should be comnuniicated promptly by the See-' 

 retary of each, as a great deal of this information can 

 be used to advantage. 



The one matter to which the General-Secretary now 

 wishes to draw the attention of members, is the im- 

 portance of rapidly increasing the circulation of their 

 official organ among non-members. No publication 

 can be commercially successful without a mailing list 

 considerably larger than is offered by the meud)crship 

 of the C. S. T. A. The Society is fortunate in having 

 the control and guidance of the editorial policy and 

 make-up of Scientific Agriculture, and that arrange- 

 ment will continue if the publi.sliers receive adequate 

 encouragement from the Society in their effort to cater 

 to a class of readers seeking a technical publication. 

 In order to build up the necessary circulation, the 

 members must pla.v their part. 



It is somewhat difficult in such a place as this to 

 praise the publishing house. Hut in all fairness, every 

 member should know that since the first of October 

 last the Industrial & Educational Publishing CompaTir, 

 has absorbed (1) all the printing, postage and station- 

 ery charges of the C.S.T.A., (2) All the travelling 

 expenses of the General-Secretary and (3) More than 

 fift.v per cent of the $2,o00 salary at which the General- 

 Seci-etary was appointed by your Dominion Executive. 



