Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 77.djvu/207

Rh In closing I should like to call attention to a fact both of evolutionary and of commercial importance. The first generation of crosses between nearly related types generally grows more vigorously than the pure types themselves. If the fertility is not impaired, they even fruit more freely. This is undoubtedly the explanation of Burbank's quick growing hybrid walnuts, but if they were self-pollinated and grown for another generation a large percentage of the progeny would lose this character. In naturally self-pollinated types like tobacco, one sees the phenomenon expressed as greater vigor in a cross; in a continually intercrossed species like maize the same thing is shown by a loss of vigor when the plants are self-pollinated. It is clear then that if pure strains of maize are gradually isolated by selection, by the same token they lose in vigor and productiveness. The original mixed strain may contain

 Outer ears inbred four generations. Middle ear the result of their crossing, first generation.

sub-strains some of which are much more productive than others. The less productive types may be discarded, but at the same time there is a loss of vigor from the fact that they are withdrawn from hybrid combinations. The logical procedure, then, is to isolate two high-yielding types, combine them by hybridization, and grow only the first generation of the cross. This is not mere theory, for by using such methods I have obtained from 100 to 200 bushels of shelled corn per acre on small plots. Unfortunately, this method can not be used to advantage on many crops, but in the case of maize the procedure is simple. There are many breeders using the isolation method of improvement. From