LUTHER BURBANK 
the other way; tendencies inherited from imme- 
diate parents, tendencies coming down from wild 
ancestry, tendencies originating from the influences 
of twenty centuries or more ago—tendencies which 
are latent, awaiting only the right combination 
of conditions to bring them to life; all of the 
tendencies of a complex ancestry—some lulled to 
sleep, but none obliterated; that is a seed. 
“The whole life history of a plant,” said Mr. 
Burbank, “is stored away in its seeds. 
“If we plant enough of the seeds, in enough 
different environments, we are sure to have that 
life history with all of its variations, all of its 
hardships, all of its improvements and retrogres- 
sions, uncovered before us.” 
Which brings us to the boyhood lesson which 
Luther Burbank learned. 
Thomas A. Edison spilled chemicals on the 
floor of a baggage car—lost his job as train boy— 
and made electricity his vocation instead of his 
avocation. 
Luther Burbank found a seed ball on one of 
the plants of his mother’s potato patch. 
Who knows what little thing will change a 
career? Or what accident will transform an ideal? 
[56] 
