LUTHER BURBANK 
To be quite specific, and to bring us back di- 
rectly to the practicalities of the subject in hand, 
the development of the germ cell must have led 
to the production of the particular fruit called 
the apple. 
What, then, practically does there remain for 
the plant investigator to do in the apple orchard? 
With eight thousand varieties of apple on the 
market, just how shall we come in competition 
and produce a new variety that will commend 
itself as having some points of superiority to any 
existing? Unless we can do that, it assuredly is 
not worth while to cumber the market with a new 
apple. There are enough inferior fruits already 
in the field. Let us by all means refrain from 
adding to their number. 
What has been said suggests that the task ahead 
of us, in the perfectionment of the apple, does not 
lack difficulties. As a tangible illustration of the 
extent of these difficulties, I may note that I have 
grown on my experiment farms not fewer than 
50,000 seedling apples, from the best standard va- 
rieties, since 1886, when I first definitely turned 
attention to this fruit; and that out of the entire 
number a single dozen now stand out somewhat 
prominently as being superior. 
There are others, to be sure, not yet come to 
the fruiting age, that may surpass any yet pro- 
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