ON FACT VS. THEORY 



"You know the secret now," said Mr. Burbank, 

 "but if you think that you can produce these nico- 

 tunias as you would hybrid petunias, or crossbred 

 primroses, go ahead and try; there is no patent on 

 their manufacture; but if the five hundredth cross 

 succeeds, or even the five thousandth, under the 

 best conditions obtainable, you will surely be very 

 successful. I do not fear any immediate competi- 

 tion. This one cost me ten thousand tries." 



Perhaps those who have said that species could 

 not be combined with species, or genus with genus 

 have tried only once or twice or a dozen times. 

 Perhaps Mr. Burbank's patience and persistence 

 account for some of the upset laws. 



"Why not content ourselves to work within 

 varieties as the bees work?" asks some one. 



"Because by going out of the varieties and 

 combining between species, and going out of the 

 species and combining between genera, we mul- 

 tiply almost infinitely the combinations of old 

 heredities which we may bring into play we 

 lessen the work which we have to make environ- 

 ment do by spreading before us more combinations 

 of heredity we accomplish in two years what 

 otherwise might take two lifetimes." 



In all, Mr. Burbank has made one hundred 

 and seventy-nine combinations between different 



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