1 



If^BBUABY 8, 1906. 



Tlic Weekly Rorists' Review. 



777 



House of Carnation Lady Margaret at "W, N. Rudd's, Mt. Greenwood^ IU> 



may be largely increased by the introduc- 

 tion and cultivation of improved forage 

 crops, and better meats will thereby be 

 produced by the use of better and more 

 abundant feeding material. Advantage 

 can also be taken of the variation in the 

 feeding value of different wild grasses 

 as applied to different purposes, such as 

 the cultivation of the softer, more suc- 

 culent grasses, for the maintenance of 

 breeding herds, and the slower growing, 

 harder and more fattening Buffalo 

 grasses for fattening herds. It might 

 well be asked why we should not improve 

 our native forage grasses by cultivation, 

 the selection of the improved, and even 

 by hybridization. It might also prove 

 that foreign grasses can be acclimatized, 

 hybridized with our native species and 

 made to largely increase the stock rais- 

 ing capacity of our ranges and pastures. 

 It is even possible that a portion of Mr. 

 Burbank's energies may be practically 

 employed in some such work as this. 



Reproductive Forestry. 



We might also dwell lipon the impor- 

 tance of the work of reproductive fores- 

 try, which seems to be the sole hope of 

 lengthening our timber supply. I doubt 

 if it will prove practicable to materially 

 preserve old forests by any process of 

 cutting or thinning out matured trees, 

 but that, on the contrary, plantings of 

 young trees upon such soils as are not 

 best fitted for agricultural or horticul- 

 tural purposes, and the natural seeding 

 of cutover lands, will likely prove the sole 

 hope of forestry reproduction. 



Mr. Burbank has succeeded in produc- 

 ing a rapid-growing hybrid walnut which 

 in his estimation should prove of consid- 

 erable value for timber purposes, inas- 

 much as it will produce a matured timber 

 tree in about one-half the time that one 

 could be produced with the native species. 

 Now if he could originate similar rapid- 

 growing pines, spruces, redwoods, larches, 

 oaks, poplars and hickories that would 

 produce larger, taller and more symmetri- 

 cal trunks, the productive timber capacity 



of our forest lands would be greatly in- 

 creased. 



It may well be asked, if he can origi- 

 nate this improved walnut, why can he 

 not ■ produce an improved Douglass fir, 

 a spruce, a white pine, or a sugar pine? 

 Why cannot he cross the white, Norway, 

 yellow and sugar pines and get something 

 different from either of themf Why not 

 take the magnificent timber hemlocks of 

 the Pacific coast, cross them with the 

 hardy hemlocks of the east, and secure 

 a hardy hemlock, that will produce on 

 eastern land as fine lumber as is now 

 afforded by the Pacific coast hemlocks? 

 And cannot the same thing be done with 

 the white cedar and cypresses? 



The importance of keeping records of 

 work done and intelligent pedigrees so 

 that the practical results obtained may 

 be studied and reviewed at leisure, should 

 not be underestimated. Judging by hind- 

 sight, or by work accomplished, will in 

 the end prove far better than judging by 

 foresight of work we would like to ac- 

 complish. In my own work upon the car- 

 nation, I have kept records for the past 

 ten years, so that at present, instead of 

 working at random, I am proceeding in 

 a methodical way and producing better 

 and surer results. The general princi- 

 ples discovered in plant breeding can 

 probably be applied to all breeding, even 

 to the reproduction of the human species. 



Should Not Neglect Human Species. 



If we are to improve our plants, 

 grains, fruits, flowers, grasses and all 

 our domestic animals, and even the wild 

 fowls, as well as the animals from the 

 wilderness, are we justified in neglect- 

 ing our species, and allowing it to be 

 reproduced in a haphazard way with the 

 possible, result of serious degeneracy in 

 the end? Should not the principles dis- 

 covered in the intelligent improvements 

 of plants and animals be applied to the 

 reproduction and perpetuation of the 

 human race, so far as may be practical 

 without destroying or impairing the ten- 

 ets of our religions or the morality of 



our peoples? I will hazard the prophecy 

 that the nation which first possesses the 

 foresight to effectually prevent or practi- 

 cally restrict the reproduction of its de- 

 generate or criminal elements is destined 

 to take the leading position among the 

 civilized nations of the globe and will be- 

 come the future 'model for the advance- 

 ment of civilization. 



If at the judgment day, mankind haa 

 not applied the intelligence with which it 

 has been endowed and the knowledge 

 gained by centuries of thought and study 

 to the advancement and physical and 

 mental improvement of its own species, 

 will it not have failed to improve the 

 talents entrusted to its keeping by the 

 Creator? 



Can the human family neglect properly 

 endowing its progeny with strong, vigor- 

 ous, healthful bodies and normal minds 

 that they may be better able to fill life's 

 allotted tasks successfully, and, finally, 

 to approach the great bar of judgment 

 with the consciousness of a life's span 

 well filled with good and useful works, 

 and to hear from the divine judge, "Well 

 done, good and faithful servants, you 

 have made good use of the talents which 

 I placed in your keeping"? 



DRACAENA INDIVISA. 



Kindly advise me as to the age of 

 Dracaena indivisa for seed bearing. Will 

 a single plant fertilize its own seed? 

 C. F. M. 



The age at which Dracaena indivisa 

 will bear seeds depends very much upon 

 the conditions under which it is grown 

 but it is probable that plants growii 

 under glass seldom flower at less than 

 ten to twelve years of age, unless some 

 check in growth has caused premature 

 flowering. Where this plant may be 

 grown outdoors permanently, as in south- 

 ern California, and, also, in some por- 

 tions of Europe, it is quite possible that 

 it may attain maturity earlier, and bring 

 forth a crop of seed within less than 



