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. 



