THE THORNLESS EDIBLE CACTUS 



these new plants were then planted. So per- 

 sistent is the cactus in its habits that thou- 

 sands of new seedlings showed no tendency 

 toward improvement. Indeed, many of them, 

 as if in very defiance of man, bore uglier 

 thorns than any of their ancestors. Many of 

 them were a mass of woody fiber. But some 

 very few showed that a profound change was 

 coming over their lives. This was indicated 

 by a notable lessening of the spines, thorns 

 and bristles. All such plants were isolated for 

 further crossing and selection. Tests were 

 going on all the while, also, to ascertain 

 whether or not any plants were losing their 

 spicules. Such as were found improving in 

 this direction were also isolated. And so for 

 every excellence desired there was the sharpest 

 scrutiny, and also for every bad feature — it 

 was a daily battle for the best. At last, when 

 ten years had gone by, the end of all this 

 preliminary breeding and crossing and selecting 

 came, and alongside the white picket fence 

 which surrounds the home of Mr. Burbank 

 rose a giant cactus, fully eight feet in height, 

 bearing thalli or leaves from ten inches to a 

 foot in length, five to eight inches in width, 



153 



