114 LUTHER BURBANK 



Patience will be required in carrying out the 

 work, for the tree is long-lived and experiments 

 in its development are quite different from those 

 in the development of annual plants. Yet some- 

 thing of the probable results of an experiment 

 can be judged even from observation of seedlings 

 in their first year. And by hurrying the hybrid 

 plants by the method of grafting, it will be pos- 

 sible greatly to shorten the generations. 



Still, it is not to be denied that the work of 

 developing new races of trees is one that should 

 preferably command the attention of the younger 

 generation. In particular, it should be carried on 

 under government supervision, as part of the 

 great work of reforestation, the necessity for 

 which has only in recent years been clearly 

 realized by those in authority or by the com- 

 munity in general. 



MESSAGES FROM THE PAST 



The oft-cited hybrid walnuts supply us with 

 tangible evidence of the possibility of developing 

 new races of trees having much-to-be-desired 

 qualities of rapid growth, through hybridization 

 of the existing species. 



Such evidence as has been suggested is more 

 forceful and convincing than any amount of 

 theoretical argument. But it may be of interest 



