184 LUTHER BURBANK 



existed? A careful search was made to discover if even 

 one seed could be found. The faded flowers and seed 

 pod had been hastily stripped from the stem and thrown 

 down upon the sandy soil as worthless. A few of the 

 precious seeds were rescued and the experiment saved to 

 science. 



What curious packages ! Yes, those seeds were gathered 

 by the children of South' America; those are from the 

 mountains of China; and there are many others that speak 

 to us of distant lands and of strange scenes and customs. 

 Then what treasures are here ! Can you imagine the 

 mischief one little mouse might do in this room? Giant 

 trees, sturdy shrubs, and fragile flowers are sleeping here. 

 Can you tell what plant is hiding in this seed? As Bur- 

 bank holds a seed in his hand, he knows its nature and 

 understands what conditions are necessary for its germina- 

 tion* and development. 



Some seeds may be kept for years ; others must never be 

 allowed to become dry. Some will germinate only under 

 glass, requiring the warmth and moisture of the con- 

 servatory; others must be boiled in water for five or ten 

 minutes, while still others must be frozen in order to allow 

 the little plantlet to escape from the hard shell. The con- 

 ditions depend largely upon the surroundings to which its 

 ancestors were accustomed, seeds of plants from tropical 

 countries requiring very different treatment from those of 



* Germination the first act of growth. 



