LUTHER BURBANK 



stand small chance of being able to perpetuate 

 its kind in a state of nature. But on the other 

 hand, it must be admitted that it is well worth 

 while to give the amount of attention required to 

 the preservation of these seeds, in view of the 

 enhanced value of their product. 



It will be understood, however, that the aver- 

 age fruit-grower will not be required to concern 

 himself about the seeds, as his orchards will be 

 propagated by grafting in case of this fruit as is 

 customary with all orchard fruits. 



There can be little doubt, then, that the time 

 is almost at hand when all our plums will be 

 grown without stones, since the experiment of 

 removing the stones from a large number of 

 varieties can now be followed up without great 

 difficulty. 



The pioneer work has been done, and the cross 

 breeding of my best present varieties of stoneless 

 plums, to secure all the desirable qualities of any 

 existing plum, may readily be effected. 



Even though the fruit should not be of better 

 quality than that which it supplants, the fact that 

 the elimination of the stone permits an increased 

 abundance of fruit, to say nothing of the value of 

 the stoneless fruit itself, will offer an inducement 

 that the progressive fruit raiser will find con- 

 clusive. 



[132] 



