A Relic of Past Ages 



The color photograph print shown above is a six time 



enlargement of a cactus seedling just after it has poked its head 



above ground. It will be noticed that the root has already shown its 



tendency to go deep in the ground and that this, together with the 



spine-covered upright stalk or slab, reflects the characteristics of 



immediate ancestry. The more interesting fact, however, and the fact 



which proved to Mr. Burbank's mind his theory of the original 



sptnelessness of cactus, is to be found in the two smooth leaves 



extending from the base of the small thorny slab. These leaves, 



though rudimentary, and dropping off a few days after the cactus is 



above the ground, are reminders of a former age when all cactus 



plants had stalks or leaves that were as smooth as these. 



