468 BURBANK'S PROUUCTION OF HOI^TICULTURAL NOVELTIES. 



and edible cactus will always remain surrounded with doubt as to 

 the initial ancestry. 



Besides his collectors in other countries and his correspondents 

 widely scattered through the United States, he is constantly on the 

 look-out for odd sorts of fruits or flowers, in order to combine 

 them with the existing varieties. He procures seeds from the nur- 

 series of all countries, from Europe and Japan as well as from 

 America. He brings together, in each genus, as many species as 

 possible before starting his crosses. Of Asclepias I noted about 

 twenty species on a plot, of Brodiaea four, of Rhodanthe, Schizan- 

 tfius and the fragrant Tobacco all the best and newest European 

 varieties and hybrids. Many other instances will be given in the 

 special descriptions. Among grasses he is now trying species of 

 Loliiim, Stipa, Agrostis and Anthoxanthwn, partly for forage and 

 partly for lawns. Of evening primroses he had received a large 

 flowered form of the creeping white Oenothera albicaulis, which 

 he has now selected along with other small- and large-flowered 

 yellow primroses. Many wild species afford deviations, which are 

 ordinarily considered as monstrosities, but which in his hand may 

 be improved to yield valuable ornamental plants. He showed me 

 a beautiful yellow papaveraceous plant, the Hunnemannia fumariae- 

 folia from Mexico, which in some specimens doubled its flowers 

 on the outside instead of within, in the same way as some Gloxi- 

 nia's. Many other introduced deviations and hundreds of beautiful 

 species I saw, but there is no reason for mentioning their names here. 

 Very often a wild strain supplies some valuable quality or perhaps 

 only the vigor of growth which fails in its cultivated allies. Many 

 a weak race was made strong by this means. 



Among the species and varieties introduced from foreign coun- 

 tries some proved to surpass the corresponding American forms 

 without needing any improvement. In this way very valuable contri- 

 butions to American fruit-culture have been secured. In the be- 

 ginning of his work, a Japanese agent one day sent him some 

 plum-pits. From these he grew two varieties which he has since 

 introduced under the names of Burbank and Satsuma plums. The 

 first of them was named for him by the United States pomologist 

 at Washington. It was exceptionally suitable to American con- 

 ditions and has justified its selection by its present wide distribution 

 and economic value. The Satsuma plum is now commonly cultivated 

 in California and is a most delicious preserve on account of its 

 sweet flesh and small pits. The Burbank plum, on the other hand, 



