A Relic of Past Ages 
The color photograph print shown above is a six time 
enlargement of a cactus seedling just after it has poked its head 
above ground. It will be noticed that the root has already shown its 
tendency to go deep in the ground and that this, together with the 
spine-covered upright stalk or slab, reflects the characteristics of 
immediate ancestry. The more interesting fact, however, and the fact 
which proved to Mr. Burbank’s mind his theory of the original 
spinelessness of cactus, is to be found in the two smooth leaves 
extending from the base of the small thorny slab. These leaves, 
though rudimentary, and dropping off a few days after the cactus is 
above the ground, are reminders of a former age when all cactus 
plants had stalks or leaves that were as smooth as these. 
