LUTHER BURBANK 



be accentuated. That remarkable results would 

 thereby be attained the plant developer had no 

 doubt. Just what these results would be, it re- 

 mained for the sequel to determine. 



HOW THE PKECOCIOUS DWARFS WERE MADE 



There were already at hand at Santa Rosa 

 specimens of the ordinary American chestnut of 

 the Northeast and of the somewhat closely re- 

 lated European chestnut, as well as of the small 

 allied species of our southeastern states, known 

 as the chinquapin. Mr. Burbank at once set about 

 blending the strains of these three species with 

 the strains of the newcomer from the Orient. 

 Each species was crossed with all the others, that 

 the results of different combinations might be 

 tested. 



Of course the hybrid of the first filial genera- 

 tion blends the strains of only two species. But 

 it is equally obvious that if these hybrids are 

 themselves interbred, the strains of four species 

 may be combined in the complex hybrid of the sec- 

 ond filial generation. For example, the hybrid 

 progeny of the Japanese chestnut and the chin- 

 quapin crossed with the hybrid progeny of the 

 European and American chestnuts will produce 

 offspring in which the strains of the four species 

 are evenly blended. It is not to be expected, of 

 course, that this hybrid will combine the desirable 

 qualities of the parents in just the right propor- 

 tion. But some of the desirable qualities will be 



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