26 LUTHER BURBANK 



different color on the petals were all carefully 

 taken into account. 



There is opportunity for skill in the blending 

 of different shades in a flower of such diversity 

 of color as the gladiolus, far greater than 

 the painter's skill in applying colors to the 

 canvas. 



One learns that there are certain combina- 

 tions that will produce disagreeable colors, 

 whereas others will result in new shades of 

 exceptional brilliancy. 



The characteristics of each flower to be 

 selected for combination must be carefully 

 studied. 



If, for example, we cross a yellow gladiolus 

 with a white one, we are likely to get a dingy 

 white that is by no means agreeable, though not 

 by any means necessarily so. The cross of a pale 

 pink with a white form is likely to give us a 

 still paler pink, which would not be regarded as 

 an improvement. Again, from the blending of 

 two nearly white strains, you may even get 

 dark colors in unpredictable combinations. 



By studying the combinations, however, and 

 making rigid selection among the seedlings, it 

 will be discovered that there are certain tenden- 

 cies that tend to be dominant and that as a rule 

 may be expected to repeat themselves in the 



