346 LUTHER BURBANK 



berries were bitter, like elderberries in general, I 

 noted that some were less bitter than others. 

 Moreover, there was a diversity in size, and a 

 great variation as to productivity. A few of the 

 trees bore a constant crop all summer, blooming 

 and bearing fruit throughout the season and well 

 into winter. 



This was another unusual break in the tradi- 

 tions of the family and one that seemed to offer 

 pleasing possibilities. 



The experiment has continued along the lines 

 of further crossing and selection. A few seasons 

 ago I had from twenty-five to thirty thousand 

 elder plants in bearing. From these the best, to 

 the number of about seventy-five, were selected. 

 And the trees of the generation now under obser- 

 vation bear really delicious berries, without a 

 trace of bitterness. Some are quite sweet, others 

 acid. 



The best of them are an astonishing improve- 

 ment over any elderberries I had ever seen 

 before. 



The berries are grown in abundant clusters 

 and they are individually of the size of small cur- 

 rants. When dried they turn a light golden 

 color, like the whitest of the white raisins. In 

 flavor they can hardly be distinguished from the 

 best raisins, though so notably different in size. 



