166 LUTHER BURBANK 



strange that the tribe of plants to which this 

 vegetable belongs have always had for me a 

 rather exceptional interest. 



Early in the course of my California work I 

 had secured specimens of a remote cousin of the 

 cultivated potato which grows in our southwest- 

 ern States and which is known to the Indians as 

 the Squaw potato (Solanum Jamesii). 



It is a wild rambling potato, spreading in all 

 directions by tubers that are connected by long 

 strings. Although used for food by the Indians, 

 this potato is not worth the notice of the culti- 

 vator, except for its hardiness. This trait sug- 

 gested that it might possibly be crossed to 

 advantage with other species. But although 

 several crosses were effected with three other 

 species of the potato, nothing of value came 

 of them. 



An allied species, however, namely the Sola- 

 num Commersoni, a worthless form introduced 

 from central South America, gave more interest- 

 ing results. 



This plant, although recommended as a valu- 

 able commercial product, really had very little 

 value. Like most wild potatoes, it scattered its 

 tubers widely from the hill; moreover it had an 

 ineradicable bitter taste that made it unpalatable. 

 The blossoms, however, were very large and 



