92 THE PLUM IN KANSAS. 



nomenal varieties of the chestnut ever known were originated by Mr. Burbank. 

 The Persian walnut has been crossed upon the wild walnut of California, and 

 various other crosses of the same nature were made in this family, which have 

 resulted in some remarkable varieties. Among the berries, he has made crosses 

 and grown millions of seedlings. He has repeatedly accomplished what was long 

 thought to be impossible, in the crossing of the blackberry and raspberry, and 

 even the strawberry and raspberry. The latter cross resulted in nothing of value, 

 but the former has given us some very excellent varieties. Some of his quince 

 seedlings are of the very highest character, and will, in due time, prove them- 

 selves eo in culture. 



He is making a new lot of crosses at blooming time, planting a new lot of seed- 

 lings every year. Not long since he wrote me that he had over 2700 new seedling 

 plums fruiting this year. Of these but few, and possibly none, will be saved by 

 him and sent out to the public. He requires several years' trial before allowing 

 anything to be sent out, or even named. The consummate skill, the enduring 

 patience and the immense expenditure of time and money necessary to accom- 

 plish what he does is rarely imagined and, perhaps, never fully appreciated. 



Another writer has this to say of Luther Burbank : 



He has made the plum a perfect thing. One of his creations was immedi- 

 ately bid for by a syndicate that offered S10,000 for its control, but it was placed 

 on general sale. Pieces of grafting wood of it were sold at the following prices 

 for propagation: Two feet, $15; five feet, $.30; fifty feet, $200; one hundred feet, 

 $350. Dormant buds on peach and almond roots sold at $10 each. When a cus- 

 tomer questioned the price he said: "You do not appreciate the difference in 

 value of two little pieces of living plum wood, one of which has the power of 

 producing trees that will bear fruit worth $855 a ton, while the other will bear 

 fruit worth only $5 a ton." Of another plum he said: "There is only a little 

 bundle of the grafting wood in existence." (This fruit sold at $8.50 for a box of 

 twenty pounds, eighty-eight plums in the box — 42-^4 cents per pound, at whole- 

 sale.) In an announcement of new creations for 1900 he mentions a new hybrid 

 plum of enormous size and flesh like a white, juicy peach. He is often called the 

 " wizard of horticulture." 



