154 LUTHER BURBANK 



them to the shade. These violets reproduce 

 themselves wholly by the self-fertilization which 

 goes on within the colorless flower below. 



And there are violets of the same kind, 

 blooming in the sunlight, which open their 

 upper flowers so that, if visited by insects, 

 the seed within matures; but, as if in doubt 

 of the efl*ectiveness of their advertisement, the 

 lower blossoms continue to produce their in- 

 bred seed. 



And there are still other violets which, as if 

 assured of the friendship of the insects, have 

 ceased to make the colorless blossoms below, and 

 produce their entire output of seed at the base gf 

 the brilliant upper flower. 



Here, in these three kinds of violets, is written 

 the story of a plant's struggle with wild environ- 

 ment in which man has not yet become a factor; 

 the story of an unequal struggle in which the 

 stages of failure, partial victory, and complete 

 triumph are clearly laid before us. 



Into the life of the violet, some few hundred 

 years ago, there came a new element of environ- 

 ment — man. 



A single violet plant which was taken from its 

 ieatch-as-catch-can existence, let us say, found it- 

 self in fine-combed soil in a shady place in some 

 one's dooryard. 



