78 LUTHER BURBANK 



is regarded; but even with the orchids it is un- 

 questionably the delicate beauty of the colora- 

 tion, and not merely the grotesqueness of form, 

 that gives the flower popularity. 



From the standpoint of the plant experimenter 

 the question of color in the flower is one that 

 has perennial interest. In a very large number 

 of cases new varieties are developed solely along 

 the lines of color variation. 



We have seen that there are almost endless 

 modifications of color in the same flower, par- 

 ticularly in such variable races as roses and pop- 

 pies and dahlias, and the case of the Watsonia, 

 which has just come to our attention, illustrates 

 the interest associated with the modifica- 

 tion of color even when no other change is 

 involved. 



The white Watsonia that was discovered 

 among its pink fellows was given a new botani- 

 cal name, and went forth to conquer the world 

 captioned as a new subspecies. Yet it differed 

 in no obvious regard from myriads of its fellows 

 except in the matter of color. 



It was pure white, and all of its fellows were 

 reddish purple. That fact gave the one Watso- 

 nia distinction among the millions and insured 

 the propagation of its progeny and their migra- 

 tion to the utmost corners of the earth. 



