244 HOW TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY 



muscles. Bulletins from Washington and from the 

 State stations have become the text books of the 

 people. 



Grander yet is the art of creating. This is the 

 one achievement that is bringing us most nearly into 

 sonship with the Infinite Mind the crossing of 

 old varieties or species and making new ones at will. 

 Sex runs through all Nature. In some plants both 

 principles are united, but in others, as frequently in 

 strawberries and grapes and sometimes in apples and 

 pears, they are separated. Pollen must be carried 

 from one tree or vine to another to secure a perfect 

 development of fruit, and this process always breaks 

 up continuity of form and quality. 



Here lies the secret of Nature, whereby new sorts 

 are constantly being developed. The grains of pol- 

 len, carried from one plant to another, result in seed 

 that involves the qualities of both parents. This 

 sort of work can be done by art much more carefully 

 than Nature undertakes to do it. The pollen is 

 carefully removed from that which shall be the 

 mother flower, and in its stead is dusted pollen from 

 that which is intended for the other parent. When 

 this is undertaken with the skill of Mr. Burbank, 

 it puts cross-breeding into the class of fine arts. He 

 has something in mind which he wishes to create, 

 and although he does not secure exactly that which he 

 desires he is sure to approximate it. 



As a rule, home builders may let Nature do the 

 crossing while they tend only to the selecting. Na- 



