166 TILLEES OF THE GKOUND CHAP. 



In the first place, living in California, he enjoys 

 more advantages of climate than European gardeners. 

 In Holland, in England, in France, etc., the climate 

 is much less favourable, and, therefore, gardeners 

 have had many difficulties which do not present 

 themselves in California. Secondly, for a variety 

 of reasons, Burbank has been able to do his work 

 on a very large scale, and that enables him to get 

 results faster than those who have had to work 

 with fewer advantages. 



Let us begin with the very simple little story 

 of the Californian poppy, which at least shows the 

 methods employed. 



In California a pure yellow, wild poppy grows 

 abundantly all over the hillsides. Looking at a 

 great number of these wild poppies one day, Mr. 

 Burbank noticed one that had a crimson line on 

 the yellow petals. This plant was carefully trans- 

 planted, and grown by itself in a nursery bed. At 

 the end of the flowering season its seeds were 

 saved, and these seeds were sown in a special bed. 

 When the seedlings flowered in their turn the next 

 season it was found that some had a slightly wider 

 red band, while others again were pure yellow. 

 The pure yellows were what the gardeners call 

 " rogued," that is, ruthlessly pulled up and burnt, 

 while seeds were saved from those with the broadest 

 red band. This process went on for many genera- 



