CHAPTER VI. 
PLANT-BREEDING. 
LANT-BREEDING is producing plants 
P 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 litter for the best type of pup. Now 
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