284 LUTHER BURBANK 



in a work calculated to benefit humanity at 

 large. 



Through these collectors I have frequently 

 obtained wild plants the economic value of which 

 had never been suspected, and which might 

 otherwise have remained unknown, which, when 

 combined with plants already in hand, proved of 

 inestimable value in the development of new 

 varieties of great scientific interest or of practical 

 importance. 



Methods and Objects Sought 



To give details as to the methods by which I 

 sought to blend the qualities of the plants that 

 furnished materials for the new investigations 

 when the experiment gardens were fairly in 

 operation, would be to repeat what has been told 

 in earlier volumes of this work. 



The record of the results of these experiments 

 makes up the main bulk of all these volmnes. So 

 it obviously is not desirable that I should attempt 

 to repeat here, even in epitome, what has else- 

 where been told in detail. Yet a few general 

 comments on methods and results may be of 

 interest. 



Also it may not be amiss, by way of summary, 

 to outline very briefly the chronological sequence 

 of the chief lines of endeavor of the period, now 



