Plant-breeding; comments on the experiments of Nilsson and Burbank . pes as possiljle, lea\ing the decision concerning theirhereditar) worth to the next season. As soon as he has ex-hausted the whole range of the elementary constituents ofhis varieties, no further field selection can be of any use, butas long as this limit is not manifestly reached, the fields con-tain possibilities, which should not be neglected. In ordinarycases it will therefore be profitable to repeat the field selec-tion during some years. Selection of corn is ^•cry easy, when compared with thework connected with the sele
Plant-breeding; comments on the experiments of Nilsson and Burbank . pes as possiljle, lea\ing the decision concerning theirhereditar) worth to the next season. As soon as he has ex-hausted the whole range of the elementary constituents ofhis varieties, no further field selection can be of any use, butas long as this limit is not manifestly reached, the fields con-tain possibilities, which should not be neglected. In ordinarycases it will therefore be profitable to repeat the field selec-tion during some years. Selection of corn is ^•cry easy, when compared with thework connected with the selection of other cereals. Thedifferent marks of the stalks and foliage, of the shanks ofhusks, of the ears and the kernels, are easily appreciated, andtheir significance for the value of the new strains is mani-. 135 136 PLANT-BREEDING fest. Each farmer can gather the Knowledge and expe-rience, which this process rec^uires, and a few days work ina season may secure great profits without any notable course, the greatest profits will come to those who havea taste for the work and are wilUng to give it the necessaryattention. The most successful farmer is the one whoadopts scientific as well as practical business methods, andwho is guided in his breeding w^ork by a thorough knowledgeof the law^s of variabihty. He must be prepared to discernthe direct effects of environments from the marks of heredi-tary quahties. He has to appreciate sHght differences, inthe hope of seeing their significance increased by the cultureof the next year. By breeding, the yield per acre can easilybe increased by five bushels, and it is evident that tliis in-crease is pure profit to the grower. The field selection is, however, only preparatory real selection is obtained by the comparison of the pro-ge
Size: 1391px × 1796px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherchicagoopencourtpu
