DECEiinER 24, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



909 



is being provided, and there are already avail- 

 able a complete instrument shop and a good 

 working library, the two necessary adjuncts 

 to scientific research. 



Edward P. Hvde, 



Director 

 Cleveland, Ohio 



THE AMERICAN BREEDERS' ASSOCIATIOy 



The American Breeders' Association was 

 organized in response to a long-felt need and 

 to satisfy a desire among breeders of animals 

 and plants for a central agency through which 

 these interests might mork effectively in fur- 

 thering their common welfare. 



The objects of this organization are chiefly 

 three: (1) to determine the laws of inheritance 

 in animals and plants ; (2) to learn the appli- 

 cation of these laws to increasing the intrinsic, 

 commercial and artistic values of living 

 things ; (3) to aid in bringing about this 

 desired improvement through associated effort. 



Much has already been achieved by breeders. 

 The magnificent herds and studs scattered 

 over North America are suflBcient evidence 

 that our animal breeders have not been idle 

 and that they have builded wisely. The 

 achievements of the breeders of field crops and 

 horticultural plants have provided our modern 

 journals and the daily press with material 

 eagerly sought by a public which appreciates 

 the wizard-like creations of these workers in 

 plastic living forms. The productions of our 

 florists and nurserymen brought forth in re- 

 sponse to a popular demand for the artistic 

 and novel, to the student of heredity, are 

 monuments to the skill of the breeder and 

 indicate the stupendous possibilities of similar 

 work with our great economic animals and 

 crops. 



Great as have been the achievements of 

 breeders, no definite science of breeding has 

 been built up. Much investigation into the 

 theory of heredity has been made and volumes 

 of theoretical and experimental data have been 

 accumulated through the efforts of the scien- 

 tific workers. The plant breeders as a whole 

 have their work in more scientific form than 

 have the animal breeders. They are only on 



the threshold, however, of the science of breed- 

 ing. Those who have attained success in 

 breeding have often happened upon a valuable 

 strain or method and exploited it with good 

 results. Many who have met with success 

 have only a very imperfect system. Some use 

 artistic sense, or intuition, and judgment only. 

 Others use statistical methods almost entirely. 

 Whatever the practise of any successful ani- 

 mal or plant breeder may be, he can rarely 

 advise his neighbor as to how to proceed and 

 assure him of success. Each has been com- 

 pelled to learn by costly experience and work 

 in the hope that he may by chance hit upon 

 a profitable method. 



It was to bring order out of this chaos of 

 theory and practise that the American Breed- 

 ers' Association was created. The first step 

 was to organize a large central association 

 with a low membership fee which would place 

 it within the reach of all of these thousands 

 of modest unheard of workers in plants and 

 animals whose collective experience must fur- 

 nish much of the data upon which to build a 

 practical science of breeding. By means of 

 its annual and other meetings, this association 

 is designed to become a great school and clear- 

 ing house to which will be brought the latest 

 and best thought in breeding from these many 

 sources, and from which a balance will finally 

 be struck upon which to base intelligent and 

 practical work. 



The need of a national association was first 

 felt by those who were closely in touch with 

 breeding work and had broadly observed the 

 field. It has been found that the methods 

 necessary to success in breeding make it ex- 

 pensive. Its pursuit is often beyond the 

 means of the average producer, because large 

 numbers of individuals must be available with 

 which to work and great amounts of time and 

 care are required in handling and recording 

 each breeding unit. The breeding of many 

 of the commercial field crops is beyond the 

 means of private enterprise. The breeding of 

 animals is many times more expensive than 

 the breeding of plants. To be most effective, 

 large plans and cooperative effort is necessary. 



The field occupied by the American Breed- 



