24 
FOURTEENTH REPORT. 
1702 John Ray catalogued 360 distinct kinds and in recent years Yil- 
morin states that some dealers offer as many as 2,000 different kinds. 
The past century has seen a greater increase in the number and ex- 
cellence of cultivated varieties than all the preceding centuries. Plants 
long domesticated have been wonderfully developed. If we contrast a 
list of American grown fruits published by Coxe in ISIS with a similar 
list in 190S — ninety years later — we will realize this: 
Apples 
133 
2,138 
Pears 
2,567 
Peaches 
3S 
447 
Plums 
IS 
522 
A comparison of the grains, vegetables, or flowers would show a simi- 
lar increase. We have here a store of wealth unknown to our fore- 
fathers. Rut what is most encouraging is that the discovery of new 
forms has steadily increased. In the future the first decade of the 
Twentieth Century will be looked upon as epoch making in the history 
of plant breeding. Let us consider the reasons. 
First, l would place cooperation and cooperative methods. The 
people as a whole are interested in the movement, the increase of rural 
wealth and the conservation of our resources are national questions. 
The Department of Agriculture is at work throughout the land, each 
state has its experiment station and agricultural college. A large num- 
ber of trained experts can be put to work on each and every problem. 
The graduate schools of our universities contribute largely to the more 
theoretical side. The exchange of knowledge is world wide, no man 
need work alone and every effort is made to spread the results of work 
rapidly, accurately and cheaply to all who can profit thereby. 
Secondly, the opening of little known regions of the earth and rapid 
transportation promise amazing results in the near future, tho indeed 
much has been already accomplished. The colonists had to bring their 
plants and seeds from Western Europe where the climate is totally 
different from that of our Eastern States and the methods of culti- 
vation unsuited to our conditions. Under these circumstances what the 
American breeders accomplished is surprising, and as the Star of Empire 
moved westward into new lands and climates, new plants were developed 
to meet the needs. The long list of names of American plant breeders 
deserves a conspicuous place in our Hall of Fame, tho they are now 
mostly unknown except to the specialist. As early as ISIS in Coxe’s 
list, before mentioned, of 133 varieties of apples 0S% were American 
producfions and at Ihe present time of over 2,000 varieties grown in the 
States less than 1% came from abroad if we exclude the recent Russian 
importations. 
But today the plants of the world are available for experiment. Every 
corner of ihe earth is ransacted by agents of our government or of 
private firms. Whatever the climate or soil may be the suitable species 
are imported and propagated. The experiences of other lands are 
available. We watch the results of foreign breeders and import their 
creations. The immediate results have been wonderful, but the oppor- 
tunities for the future are greater far. 
Thirdly, the opening years of the present century were marked by 
