228 LUTHER BURBANK 



fornia cultivators, in the improvement of the 

 climbing nasturtiums, and in particular by cross- 

 ing the ordinary form with the one known as 

 T. minus. 



Both the parent forms and the hybrids have 

 run into numberless colors, clear lemon-yellow, 

 flesh color, deep crimson, purple, scarlet, deep 

 yellow and white, the colors being variously 

 blended, and the foliage of the plant being some- 

 times most beautifully variegated. Even the 

 form of the leaf has been changed, so that there 

 now are ivy-leaved strains of nasturtiums. 



The nasturtiums offer great interest for the 

 amateur experimenter, as they are very readily 

 hybridized, and as their range of variation, even 

 without crossing, is so great as to afford the 

 widest opportunity for selection. Indeed, cross- 

 ing has been so fully carried out that for ordinary 

 purposes selection will answer far better than 

 further crossing. It is exceedingly difficult even 

 to keep the colors of the various nasturtiums 

 separate. The seed of a pure white variety quite 

 commonly may produce various colors. And it 

 is more difficult to fix these colors than is the case 

 with most other flowers. But of course such 

 difficulties only enhance the interest of a 

 really earnest experimenter, and develop his 

 enthusiasm. 



