304 LUTHER BURBANK 



be formed on a vine of this variety. But in fact 

 it does breed absolutely true as to color and rea- 

 sonably true in form, but not one of the 12,000 

 seedlings ever compared in its combination of 

 good qualities with the original Burbank. Prob- 

 ably not one potato grower in a thousand ever 

 gives a thought as to whether the potato pro- 

 duces seed. In practice the potato is grown from 

 the "eyes" of the tuber, and the grower gets 

 approximately the sort of tuber that he plants. 

 Beyond that the matter does not concern him. 



Searching for New Varieties 



But of course the plant developer must view 

 the matter in another light. 



He must consider the potato not as a finished 

 product but as an important vegetable that may 

 be susceptible of still further improvement. So 

 for him the chief interest in the production of the 

 Burbank variety must hinge upon what it can 

 teach as to the possible production of still better 

 varieties or of varieties adapted to different con- 

 ditions of soil or climate from those under which 

 the Burbank thrives. 



The Secret of Further Improvement 



Obviously the lesson of the Burbank is that all 

 further improvement must be sought through 



