THE STOXELESS PLUM 53 



not for the protection afforded the seed by its 

 hard and indigestible covering. 



Regardless of animate foes, the seed would 

 perish from the effect of the sun, wind, rain, and 

 frost, if denied protection. 



And this is by no means a mere matter of 

 inference. One of the great difficulties that at- 

 tended the experiments which I have just nar- 

 rated was the preservation of the stoneless seeds 

 from one generation to another. It was found 

 to be exceedingly difficult. Various insects, es- 

 pecially aphides, millipedes and eelworms, would 

 get among them and quickly destroy them. 

 Fungous diseases also attacked them. And for 

 several years more than three- fourths of the seeds 

 kept for planting were thus lost. 



At a fairly early stage of the experiment I 

 had large quantities of seeds in hand, for I was 

 operating on an expansive scale in order to have 

 wide opportunity for selection. Several hundred 

 thousand plum seeds, all stoneless, were once 

 placed in cold storage, at freezing temperature, 

 as soon as they were gathered and cleaned. Some 

 were placed in sterilized sawdust, and some in 

 charcoal dust, and some in sand. 



Another assortment, similarly packed, was 

 kept in boxes in a cool shady place until the first 

 of January, when all were planted. In both lots, 



