106 LUTHER BURBANK 



a failure one that bears annually and does not 

 have any off years is the kind of a tree that is 

 needed. The orchardist naturally wants a tree 

 that can be depended upon to give him a crop. 

 A tree that sometimes balks after starting a lot 

 of fruit, because the temperature or conditions 

 of moisture are not just to its liking, is not the 

 kind of tree that endears itself to the fruit 

 grower. 



It must be understood, however, that fullness 

 of bearing has no necessary association with 

 hardiness. The two qualities are quite distinct. 

 A tree may have one quality and quite lack 

 the other. It may be able to thrive under 

 adverse conditions, but not to bear under adverse 

 conditions. 



The ideal tree, of course, is one that will not 

 only thrive but will invariably produce a fair 

 crop of fruit whether the season is hot or cold, 

 dry or rainy. A fine practical test of fullness 

 of bearing is supplied when a frost comes just 

 after the blossoms have dropped, while the 

 miniature fruit is fully exposed. 



A tree that will stand this test may generally 

 be depended on as an every-year bearer. 



Nowadays the plant developer has this matter 

 of every-year bearing in mind, and varieties of 

 plums have been developed which conform to 



