164 LUTHER BURBANK 



As the season advanced, some of these became 

 genuine trailers like the petunia, and produced 

 blossoms altogether different in color from the 

 red flowers of the tobacco plant. 



These plants did not bloom very abundantly, 

 but their great diversity of form and peculiarity 

 of foliage and flower made them a very striking 

 lot of plants. 



Some of them grew four or more feet in height 

 with large tobaccolike leaves, and others were 

 trailing dwarfs that to all appearances might 

 have belonged to an entirely distinct race. 



The plants that closely resembled the tobacco 

 parent were, for the most part, weeded out. The 

 ones that gave evidence of their hybrid origin 

 were carefully nurtured. But it was noticed 

 toward fall that although the tops grew splen- 

 didly, there seemed to be an unusual lack of 

 roots. The plants would come to a certain size, 

 and then take on what could perhaps be best 

 described as a "pinched" appearance, from lack 

 of vitality incident to their defective roots. There^ 

 was, however, a great difference among the indi- 

 vidual plants, some of them remaining strong 

 throughout the season. 



When the plants were taken up, it appeared 

 that the sickly ones had produced only a few 

 frail, wiry roots. It appeared to have been 



