202 LUTHER BURBANK 



onstrated by exceptional trees that are known to 

 be a half century old, yet still retain their vigor 

 and productiveness. When we contrast with this 

 the familiar fact that the average peach orchard 

 bears only for a relatively short term of years 

 often only ten or fifteen at most the vast eco- 

 nomic importance of this possible improvement 

 will be quite obvious. 



A STONELESS PEACH? 



As to the fruit itself, there is one opportunity 

 for improvement that is particularly inviting 

 the possibility of producing a stoneless peach. 



The desirability of such a development, from 

 the standpoint of the peach consumer, requires 

 no demonstration. From the standpoint of the 

 tree itself, a reduction in the stone would be 

 highly important. It costs a peach tree to 

 produce a pound of stones probably as much 

 as to produce twenty or thirty pounds of 

 pulp. 



The drain on the vitality of the tree in pro- 

 ducing the stone that it no longer needs must 

 take from it in a large measure the capacity for 

 production of fruit pulp that it might otherwise 

 have and also from the vigor of the tree. 



The hybridizing experiments with the almond 

 have influenced the stone of the fruit in a sug- 



