MISCELLANY 227 



It is only recently that a similar effort has been 

 made to improve field crops. In most cases the work 

 of breeding plants requires more technical knowledge 

 than most men possess. It is tedious work at best, 

 and requires much training and skill to cross-pollinate 

 the ordinary field crops or, to select out the best plants 

 in a field, or even in a small plat. It is natural that 

 most progress should have been made with corn, for 

 here the individual plants are of considerable size. As 

 soon as farmers and plant breeders began to study the 

 com plant with a view to producing superior strains of 

 the various varieties, marked improvements in seed 

 corn began to be made. There are now many farmers 

 who, by the aid received from careful students of the 

 subjedl in our agricultural colleges, produce annually 

 large quantities of pedigreed corn of a quality much 

 superior in every way to the common corn varieties of 

 the country. One breeder, who last year produced 

 and sold 25,000 bushels of highly improved seed corn, 

 estimates that those who planted this seed secured 

 an average increase of eight to ten bushels per acre 

 over seed of unimproved varieties. This estimate is 

 based on reports furnished by farmers who used this 

 seed. It should be remembered that this improve- 

 ment has been brought about in a few years. When 

 it has been in progress as long as has the improve- 

 ment of live stock, we shall doubtless have breeds of 

 corn as much superior to the common kinds as the 

 present 2,000-pound bullock is to the 500-pound 

 Smithfield show animal of a little more than a century 

 ago. 



Wheat has received considerable attention from the 



