CHAPTER VI. 



PLANT-BREEDING. 



PLANT-BREEDING is producing plants 

 adapted to particular conditions or re- 

 quirements; but the mere production of 

 something new or different, is not true plant- 

 breeding. The plant breeder has a definite 

 purpose or aim in mind, and this comes only 

 from a clear idea of his business. The pro- 

 fessional breeders produce the races or groups, 

 but the intelligent individual farmer adapts them 

 to his own conditions, and may make modifi- 

 cations of inestimable value to other farmers. 

 Good farmers have always been plant-breeders, 

 even though they did not know it. They have 

 always kept the best ear of corn and the best 

 potato for seed. They have followed the stock- 

 breeder's plan — only the best stock for sires 

 and dams. So no common plants should be 

 used for seed; only the finest is worth planting. 

 Improvement is made by selection, as Darwin 

 taught us many years ago, but we are slow to 

 learn new lessons. We know that we do not 

 look to the children of physically, mentally or 

 morally deformed persons for our specimens of 

 physical, mental and moral manhood; nor to 

 the cur's fitter for the best type of pup. Now 



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