550 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



dividual rather than the group, and necessitates such intimacy with 

 plant or animal form as will qualify the breeder to recognize and utilize 

 the wealth of material always at hand. And it may also be said that it 

 was only when, through a recognition of this principle, plant breeders 

 began to emulate animal breeders by basing their work upon the indi- 

 vidual rather than the group, that lasting results were forthcoming. 



This conception also places within the reach of every farmer the 

 means of developing varieties of field crops possessed of characters of 

 especial adaptability to his own land and looks toward more numerous 

 seed farms and the almost negligible difficulty in securing for each 

 field the seeds of varieties of maximum value and productive of maxi- 

 mum yields. 



Although the occurrence and use of mutations are less fully under- 

 stood in animals, it affords a sensible explanation of the most of the 

 progress of animal breeders, and clearly shows that after all, even to a 

 greater degree than we had ever before realized, our chief dependence 

 is upon the exercise of the " man " factor, in detecting and properly 

 estimating the possibilities always available to those who truly desire 

 and are qualified to use them. 



Agriculture consists of dealings with plants and animals. The na- 

 ture and behavior of a plant or an animal is determined and controlled 

 by its inheritance and its environment. Heretofore, the inheritance has 

 been but little understood and interest and effort have centered chiefly 

 around environment. The possibilities of that factor and the possi- 

 bilities of profiting by its control have therefore come to be well under- 

 stood. Considering this, it is not strange that the other factor, of in- 

 heritance, being little understood, should often have been regarded as 

 of minor importance. 



There is still much to be added to our knowledge of inheritance, 

 but the new light of the past decade shows that the man factor at work 

 in directing inheritance may be at least equally as productive as when 

 applied through environment. 



It is unsatisfactory to attempt to indicate how the use of this newly 

 perceived power will be evidenced. 



The Use of More Definite Knowledge of Heredity 

 The greater attention to the securing of varieties of crops that give 

 maximum returns of maximum value will add greatly to the productive- 

 ness of our lands, and the increase of yields can be supported by soil 

 resources now going to waste; the effort to raise yields by this means 

 will encourage such interest and study as must precede intelligent con- 

 servation. It does not seem likely that new creations will occur in 

 field agriculture as have been produced in horticulture, though our 

 knowledge of the origin and inheritance of characters is already being 



