THE SHASTA DAISY 307 



known to the whole world as the Shasta Daisy 

 was produced. 



Moreover I had a flower that excelled my 

 utmost expectations as to size, grace and abun- 

 dant blooming qualities; a blossom from four to 

 seven inches in diameter, with a greatly increased 

 number of ray flowers of crystal whiteness, and 

 with flower stem tall and devoid of unsightly 

 leaves ; a plant at once graceful enough to please 

 the eye and hardy enough to thrive in any soil; 

 a plant moreover of such thrifty growth that it 

 reached its blooming time in its first season from 

 seed, although none of its ancestors bloomed 

 until the second season; and of such quality of 

 prolificness that it continues to bloom almost 

 throughout the year in California, and for a long 

 season even in colder climates. 



Conflicting Tendencies 



The Shasta Daisy, sprung thus magically — 

 yet not without years of coaxing — from this 

 curiously mixed ancestry, exceeded my utmost 

 expectations in its combination of desirable 

 qualities. I can hardly say, however, that the 

 result achieved was a surprise; for my experi- 

 ence with hundreds of other species had led me to 

 anticipate, at least in a general way, the trans- 

 formations that might be effected through such 



