PRODUCING A NEW COLOR 289 



duced which presented almost in ideal combina- 

 tion the various qualities for which I -had been 

 selecting. Those that were not pure white 

 showed an astonishing variety and a beautiful 

 blending of the more delicate shades of red and 

 pink and rarely salmon. 



The plants were graceful in form and of uni- 

 form height, and, most important of all, the 

 petals of the flowers were almost of the texture 

 of tissue paper, yet of firm texture, and artisti- 

 cally waved and crinkled, in strong contrast 

 with the smooth petals of all the original 

 varieties. 



This plant was introduced through an East- 

 ern and European seedsman as an "Improved 

 Strain of Shirley Poppy," and later when still 

 further improved as the "Santa Rosa Strain of 

 the Shirley Poppy." The modifications are so 

 striking that various horticulturists have sug- 

 gested that the plant is entitled to rank as a 

 wholly new variety. But I preferred to recog- 

 nize the variety from which the new plant had 

 been developed by retaining its name. 



THE COMING OF THE BLUE POPPY 



I have repeatedly mentioned that no flower or 

 fruit is or can be developed beyond possibility of 

 further improvement. However closely a new 



10 Vol. 6 Bur. 



