162 LUTHER BURBANK 



make his kind an important article of food. This he had 

 largely accomplished before the Japanese pupils arrived, 

 for from the plant school had already been graduated an 

 artichoke of very superior size and quality and with great 

 deep sky-blue blossoms that were very ornamental. 



They saw curious, odd-shaped fruits of different colors, 

 produced by grafting a potato vine onto a tomato vine. 

 They learned that it was only one of very many of the 

 master's experiments, one easily effected, as the potato and 

 tomato are nearly related plants, but the aerial potatoes 

 which grew on the vine were of^no special value. 



They saw also experiments with grasses, grains, wild 

 flowers, weeds of various kinds, peas, beans, eggplants, 

 carrots, and so many more that the little strangers felt no 

 longer strange. 



One experiment which to them seemed very sad in its 

 results was that with a delicate border plant. It came to 

 school to be made larger, stronger, and more nearly perfect. 

 It was called "Mesembryanthemum." It had been in 

 training for four years and had learned to produce a pro- 

 fusion of white flowers, its foliage was larger, and it seemed 

 stronger. The master had these plants in various parts of 

 the garden and in the conservatory, but from some un- 

 known cause each plant suddenly died. Thus this new 

 flower was lost to the world and the work of the teacher 

 unrewarded. 



Yet the Japanese pupils were not discouraged; they had 



