NEW CREATIONS IN PLANT LIFE 



more may the plant-breeder be influenced by 

 change, for, as in any one of the new plums 

 upon which Mr. Burbank is working, some 

 new trait of surpassing excellence may develop 

 wholly independent of his original plan. At 

 the best, the metal or the wood of the in- 

 ventor is only metal or wood, the clay of the 

 sculptor is only clay; but the material upon 

 which Mr. Burbank works is throbbing with 

 life, as truly life, even if a lower order, as the 

 life of the man who handles it — life that is some- 

 times wayward, sometimes stubborn, some- 

 times bursting forth in surpassing beauty or 

 strength in lines never dreamed of, sometimes 

 manifesting itself in ways spectacular, indeed 

 even dramatic. All the time, while holding to 

 his pattern, he must be on the lookout for 

 important departures. 



There are three vital points, in addition to 

 many minor ones, which Mr. Burbank con- 

 siders in the gathering of material upon which 

 to build a new plum: 



1. He must have at the base a hardy plum, 

 wild or tame; for, without endurance, the 

 product might be practically worthless. 



2. He must have the best possible plum as 



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