332 LUTHER BURBANK 



parable in the latter respect to the Lawton berry 

 which was one of its ancestors. 



"Was there ever in nature a berry just like 

 this?" a visitor asked me. 



Probably not; but there was a small white 

 berry and a large luscious black one, and I have 

 brought the best qualities of each together in a 

 new combination. 



The Anomaly Explained 



Reviewing briefly the history just outlined, it 

 appears that the new white blackberry had for 

 grandparents a large and luscious jet black berry 

 known as the Lawton blackberry and a small ill- 

 flavored fruit of a yellowish brown color. The 

 descendant has inherited the size and lusciousness 

 of its black ancestor, and this seems not alto- 

 gether anomalous. But how shall we account for 

 the fact that it is pure white in color, whereas its 

 alleged white ancestor was not really white at all? 



The attempt to answer that question brings 

 us face to face with some of the most curious 

 facts and theories of heredity. We are bound to 

 account for the white blackberry in accordance 

 with the laws of heredity, yet at first blush its 

 dazzling whiteness seems to bid defiance to these 

 laws, for we can show no recognized white an- 

 cestor in explanation. 



