226 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 
IMPROVING THE GRASSES 
When we consider that the present improved and 
highly specialized breeds of live stock have nearly all 
been produced within the past century and a half from 
stock no better than the veriest scrubs that now.roam 
the woods in sections where no effort to improve them 
has been made, and especially when by far the larger 
part of the improvement of any one breed has been 
made by a very few men working without the knowl- 
edge of any laws of breeding to aid them, it is not sur- 
prising that similar efforts should be made to improve 
the character of farm crops. Indeed, it is rather sur- 
prising that the effort did not become general long 
ago. But there are special difficulties in the way of 
improving crops that do not exist in the case of live 
stock. Improvement of animals has been brought 
about by dealing with them as individuals. On ac- 
count of the small size of individual plants, particularly 
the grasses, it is a tedious task to study individuals. 
Most of the improvement of animals has been brought 
about mainly by eliminating inferior members of the 
breeding herd. A few stockmen of signal ability have 
followed another course. ‘They have become so thor- 
oughly familiar with animal form and character that 
they have been able to create for themselves mental 
pictures of ideally perfect animals, and they have 
searched through a whole breed for individuals ap- 
proaching this ideal. When such an individual is 
found it is acquired at any cost, and herds of these 
nearly ideal animals have been built up. The most 
rapid progress in the improvement of breeds generally 
is traceable to these few herds. 
