140 LUTHER BURBANK 



strongly suggests the case of our black-sheep 

 cherry. This also lacks but a single quality. 



Can we not then breed this quality into our 

 cherry and by remedying the one defect attain 



our ideal? 



SOLVING THE DILEMMA 



Fortunately, yes. This is precisely what we 

 can do, and what the wise plant experimenter 

 will do. 



We have but to look about in our cherry col- 

 ony and we shall find another family, habiting 

 perhaps a neighboring branch, the fruit of which 

 exhibits in imposing measure the quality of size 

 that our protege of the moment so notably lacks. 

 This big cherry may even be the original domi- 

 nant parent with which our experiment started. 

 But it is a fruit which, although being everything 

 that could be desired in size, is unfortunately 

 quite lacking in color. In spite of its inviting big- 

 ness, it cannot make its way in the market be- 

 cause, even at full maturity, it has the appearance 

 of unripeness. 



But it is big, and the bigness is the thing we are 

 seeking. So we cross-fertilize the flowers of our 

 little cherry with those of this big one. 



The result theoretically is readily foretold. 

 Bigness, as we have seen all along, is dominant, 

 and so the offspring of this union are individually 



