230 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLV. No. 1158 



ment by selection, the so-called science of 

 botany was cultivating a singularly dis- 

 tant field. In short, botany was not prac- 

 tical, and plant breeding was not scien- 

 tific. As a consequence, botanists, on the 

 one hand, and agriculturists, horticultur- 

 ists, etc., on the other hand, were as distinct 

 from one another as if they had nothing in 

 common. It so happened that botanists 

 were dealing with superficial problems in 

 a scientific way, and plant breeders were 

 dealing with the most fundamental prob- 

 lems in an empirical way. 



As in any practise, plant breeding devel- 

 oped now and then an unusually successful 

 practitioner, who made distinct contribu- 

 tions in the form of important results ; but 

 this represented no more of a real advance 

 than does the fact that one cook can sur- 

 pass another cook in. the art of making 

 bread. 



"What may be called the second period of 

 plant breeding was ushered in when or- 

 ganic evolution began to be put upon an 

 experimental basis. Plant breeding had 

 been practical, but with no scientific basis; 

 now a new plant breeding was established 

 which was scientific, but with no practical 

 motive. The new motive was the acciimu- 

 lation of data bearing upon the problem 

 of inheritance. As a by-product of this 

 work on inheritance, some of the scientific 

 results have been applied to practical plant 

 breeding, and the result has been an ex- 

 pansion of its possibilities that may well 

 be called marvelous. In short, practical 

 plant breeding is now on a scientific basis, 

 and botany has at last attacked the funda- 

 mental problems and is beginning to be of 

 great practical service. 



In presenting this fleeting glimpse of the 

 problems and accomplishments of plant 

 breeding, I have attempted to emphasize 

 the inextricable entanglement of pure and 

 applied science. Any result of scientific 



plant breeding, representing as it must 

 additional knowledge of the processes of 

 inheritance,, may become of practical serv- 

 ice ; and any result of practical plant breed- 

 ing, involving as it does extensive experi- 

 ments with plants, may prove to be of great 

 scientific value. They are mutually stimu- 

 lating, and both are necessary to the most 

 rapid development of knowledge. This 

 suggests that the botanical perspective to 

 be developed in our campaign of education 

 might be stated as practise based on sci- 

 ence, and science that illuminates and ex- 

 tends practise. 



In connection with the organization of 

 the National Research Council, I feel that 

 American botany is offered a great oppor- 

 tunity of which we should take advantage. 

 As a member of the council I wish to ac- 

 quaint you with its purpose, so far as 

 botany is concerned. Since the organiza- 

 tion of the council was stimulated by the 

 desire to develop a program of national 

 preparedness, the natural first impression 

 would be that, so far as botany is concerned, 

 it is merely the problem of more efficient 

 food production and distribution. This 

 would stamp the enterprise at once as a 

 problem of practical agriculture, in con- 

 nection with which botanical investigators 

 who are dealing with the fundamental prob- 

 lems of plants would have little or no part. 

 Nothing is further from the intention of 

 the council. The chairman has recently 

 outlined the work of the council briefly as 

 follows : 



1. To prepare a national census of research, 

 showing what laboratories and investigators are 

 available. 



2. To encourage the cooperation of educational 

 and research institutions in working out problems 

 of pure science and industry. 



3. To promote research in various branches of 

 science in cooperation with leading national scien- 

 tific societies. 



4. To encourage scientific research in educa- 

 tional institutions. It is proposed, for instance, 



