28 LUTHER BURBANK 



until recently been no good gladioli that could 

 accurately be described as pure white. 



Where so-called white varieties have appeared, 

 they have a dinginess that suggests the presence 

 of an underlying color; also there are spots, 

 stripes, or featherings of other colors, especially 

 on the lower petals. That the hereditary factors 

 for color are really present in these so-called 

 white flowers is demonstrated by the fact, already 

 noted, that in crossing two of these we may pro- 

 duce varieties that bear colored flowers. 



But the fact that these crosses of white gladi- 

 oli produce flowers showing a great diversity of 

 color, suggests obviously the possibility of select- 

 ing among these offspring, in the second genera- 

 tion, some that contain only the hereditary fac- 

 tors for whiteness, and by rigid selection I have 

 produced a race of white gladioli which, when 

 further perfected, will constitute an interesting 

 acquisition. Already these are partially fixed. 

 Other growers of gladioli have observed the 

 same fact. 



Already the white gladioli breed fairly true, 

 and further selections, with reference to the per- 

 fection and fixation of the type, will give us a 

 race of white gladioli that will meet the approval 

 of the public. But here as elsewhere there is 

 danger that in selecting for one quality other 



