LUTHER BURBANK 



Just as the eggs of the geranium were housed in 

 a protective covering, so, too, the corn eggs are 

 sheathed in protective husks. And just as a tiny 

 stalk protruded from the egg chamber of the 

 geranium, so, too, does the silk which protrudes 

 from .the end of the husk serve the same purpose 

 for the corn seed. 



Tear the husks from an ear of corn, and it will 

 be seen that each strand of the protruding silk 

 goes back to an individual kernel on the ear. 

 That, between the rows of kernels, like electric 

 wires in a conduit, each strand of the common 

 bundle of silk protruding leads back to its separate 

 starting place. 



To combine the characters of two parent corn 

 plants, all that is necessary is to dust the pollen 

 from the tassel of one on the silken ducts of the 

 ear of another. 



And the breezes, as they swish a waving field 

 of corn gracefully to and fro as they play through 

 a forest of pines, or as they ripple the grasses of 

 our lawns are performing their function in the 

 scheme of reproduction as effectively as the bee 

 does when it goes from geranium to geranium 

 in search of sweets. 



* * * * * 



Consider the simple salt-water cell, as seen 

 reproducing itself under the microscope merely 



[92] 



