246 LUTHER BURBANK 



VARIATION AND DEVELOPMENT 



Notwithstanding the considerable variation 

 among the different strains, there is almost no 

 discoverable variation in seedlings of a species 

 of this genus of palm when grown from seed of 

 the same tree. The species most commonly 

 grown in California is C. excelsa. This is a 

 species that in China and in Japan is one of the 

 most useful of trees, its foliage being used for 

 thatch, the rigid leaf stalk for braces, and the 

 woolly substance about its trunks for cordage 

 and other purposes. 



Moreover this is the palm from which fans are 

 usually made, the undeveloped, immature leaves 

 being used for this purpose. 



The palms of this genus usually bear the 

 staminate and pistillate flowers on different 

 trees, but it is not unusual to find a few staminate 

 blossoms on pistillate trees, or, contrariwise, a 

 few pistillate blossoms on staminate trees. 



If the attempt is to be made to hybridize the 

 different species with the hope of developing 

 hardier races, the matter of fertilization of the 

 flowers becomes obviously important. 



It will be worth while, then, to select the trees 

 with reference to those that tend to mature their 

 fruit while young. 



