PERSONAL HISTORY 207 



One of the first things to attract his notice in 

 the woods and along the creeks was one of our 

 native lilies, Lilium pardalinum, commonly 

 called the leopard lily. This flower is quite vari- 

 able in a wild state, and this induced him to take 

 up some of its best forms for study and cultiva- 

 tion in his own grounds. 



At first, berries and lilies took much of his 

 attention, and the experiments then made with 

 these plants were the most extensive that had 

 ever been made. At the same time he was grow- 

 ing apples, peaches, pears, plums, quinces, and 

 numerous other fruits from selected seed by the 

 hundred thousand each year, reserving only those 

 that were most promising, which were grafted 

 onto older fruit trees ; by this means earlier fruit- 

 ing resulted, thus making possible the testing of 

 a vast number of varieties within the brief period 

 of from two to four years. If anyone should 

 think this a simple and inexpensive work, a little 

 personal experience would disabuse one's mind 

 of the idea, for it is all outgo, absolutely no in- 

 come — millions of trees raised, just a few saved, 

 none sold — none of them salable — and thus 

 all but a few were consumed in enormous 

 bonfires. 



After about ten years of this work, it became 

 plain to him that it must soon become imperative 



