150 LUTHER BURBANK 



the sun; we plant their baby seedlings under 

 glass, and give them every favoring condition in 

 which to mature; we remove what for ages have 

 been the chief problems of their lives we take 

 over their two prime burdens, the burdens of 

 self-defense and reproduction. 



The frosts, and the winds, and the hailstorms, 

 and the droughts, and the animals are no longer 

 the chief enemies of plants; for man, when he 

 comes into their environment, is more dreadful 

 than all of these combined if he chooses to 

 destroy. 



And the bees and the birds and the butterflies, 

 and the warmth of the sun, and the moisture in 

 the soil, fade into insignificance as friendly in- 

 fluences when compared with that of man if it 

 pleases him to be a friend. 



So the cherry tree and dianthus still advertise 

 to the bees and birds, as of old. 



But their main advertisement, now, is an ad- 

 vertisement to us; their strongest effort, now 

 that we have become predominant in their lives, 

 is to lure with their blossoms and their fruit to 

 enchant us with their odors, and colors, and lus- 

 ciousness, as they formerly enchanted only the 

 bees to win and hold our appreciation and 

 aff ection, and merit our kindly attention and 

 care. 



