AND HIS PLANT SCHOOL 57 



for the new pupils to ripen their seeds, and still longer, 

 until they were planted, grew up, and were white with 

 bloom. 



Then with loving eyes he viewed the daisy class, and 

 chose those which gave promise of the qualities; strength, 

 size, and whiteness, combined with grace of form and 

 profusion of flowers. The others must all give way for 

 their growth. The seeds from the best of these were 

 gathered, and the next season the finest plant pupils were 

 selected from the number. 



This training went on for several years, until a hun- 

 dred thousand seeds were saved and planted in a space 

 about ten feet square. When large enough, they were 

 transported to the Gold Ridge grounds, where they were 

 given about an acre to insure plenty of room for further 

 development. 



All these years Luther Burbank protected his little pupils 

 from worms, gophers, and plant lice, giving them the 

 tender care of his own hands not trusting it to others, 

 whose sympathy might be less than his for it is a known 

 fact that love calls out response in the growth of plant 

 life as it does the best there is in human life. So love 

 rules in the plant world as it does in our own world. 



When the hundred thousand plants were started another 

 important step in the upward life of the daisy was reached. . 

 For six months they blossomed. Twice a week the teacher 

 examined bloom, stem, and leaf of each plant. One would 



X 



