THE PLUMCOT 185 



its heritage convincingly to any competent 

 observer. 



As we have elsewhere seen, the apricot has 

 been found difficult to improve, because of its 

 lack of adaptability pliability, as it may be 

 called. The tree thrives, blossoms well, but 

 rarely fruits in this region, chiefly because of 

 the tenderness of its blossoms. Partly because 

 the climate here made it difficult to attempt 

 the improvement of this tender plant, I 

 decided to try crossing the apricot with the 

 plum, which thrives unusually well in this 

 locality. 



Had I known how much time and labor and 

 patience these experiments were to demand, they 

 might never have been undertaken. Plant im- 

 provement of any kind tests purse and patience ; 

 but the improvement of tree fruits strains both 

 to the breaking point. Working with vegetables 

 or flowers, it is possible to get valuable improve- 

 ments well under way in from three to five years 

 after which continued selection makes prog- 

 ress more rapid. 



With tree fruits you have only just begun 

 after a dozen years of crossing, growing, testing, 

 and selecting. 



Nevertheless it was with pleasurable antici- 

 pations that I began these experiments which 



