LUTHER BURBANK 
ripen, and this complication may make the choos- 
ing of the seedlings a more difficult matter than it 
is in the case of apples, pears and peaches. For 
when the growth is checked in this manner the 
buds may become turgid and the leaves of unusual 
size on some plants, suggesting great possibilities, 
whereas, in point of fact, these plants may have 
no greater intrinsic merit than others that have 
continued their growth and so will show at the 
moment smaller buds and leaves. 
These complications must be very carefully 
taken into account in choosing seedlings to save 
for the development of improved varieties. 
The general rule that large leaves, full buds, 
and large short-jointed stems indicate individ- 
uals that will bear large fruit of fine quality must 
be constantly regarded, but the complications in- 
troduced by the anomalous habit of growth just 
referred to must not be overlooked. 
CaN THE Microscopist HELP? 
In carrying out a series of selections with the 
idea of developing a race of apricots with blos- 
soms resistant to low temperature, there is un- 
fortunately little to be expected from crossing 
different varieties of this species, because all ex- 
isting varieties have been cultivated under more 
or less the same climatic conditions. 
Indeed, the outlying forms to which one would 
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