NEW CREATIONS IN PLANT LIFE 



more likely the latter, — but the means are the 

 non-essentials, the end is paramount. 



It will be seen that in order to accomplish 

 the results that are changing in many ways 

 the plant life of the world and opening the 

 way to still greater changes, something else 

 must enter into the matter than mere observa- 

 tion, however keen, than knowledge, however 

 deep, than experience, however broad. And 

 this strange, intangible thing, for want of a 

 better term, we call intuition. 



There comes a day each year in Mr. Bur- 

 bank's work when the fruit trees under test, 

 for example, must come up for scrutiny. 

 Selection is to be put to one of its uses. 

 Selection, selection of the best, must be ever 

 operative from the time the plant is first 

 chosen from its fellows; — it is the continual 

 survival of the fittest; but now comes selec- 

 tion on a larger scale. Perhaps there are a 

 hundred thousand of these fruit trees one or 

 two years of age. They have been planted at 

 Mr. Burbank's proving grounds at Sebastopol, 

 a few miles from his home in Santa Rosa. 

 They have been cared for with patience and 

 with trained minds working over them, and 



36 



