32 LUTHER BURBANK 



delicate operation as well. But the later stages 

 of the experiment are greatly facilitated by the 

 fact that the flowers are self -fertilized. With 

 these plants, as well as with small grains, this 

 becomes an important aid in fixing a type, and 

 in maintaining a pure race once it has been 

 developed. 



For the most part my experiments with the 

 clovers have been made through selection and 

 without resort to hybridization. But in excep- 

 tional cases I have cross-pollinated these plants, 

 to test the possibilities of work in this line. I 

 found that the process involves no great difficul- 

 ties notwithstanding the small size of the flowers. 



In practice I found it better to remove all 

 but two or three flowers in a clover head. 



The remaining ones have the petals and the 

 stamens removed with a small pair of forceps, 

 after which the application of pollen from 

 another clover head presents no special difficul- 

 ties ; care being taken, of course, to see that the 

 pistil is at the right stage of development. 



DEVELOPING NEW CHARACTERISTICS OF 

 STEM AND LEAF 



In the course of these experiments I have 

 grown in the neighborhood of two hundred 

 species of clover. Many of these are native 



1 Vol. 6 Bur. 



