LUTHER BURBANK 



the fruit seed than to grow the flesh of the fruit 

 itself. 



So it might well be expected that other things 

 being equal, a tree bearing stoneless fruit would 

 prove at least twice as productive as one bearing 

 stone-fruit. 



Under the conditions of nature, this increased 

 fruitage would by no means compensate for the 

 loss of the protective stony covering, for the seed 

 unprotected by its coat of mail would be at the 

 mercy of any bird or animal or insect that 

 attacked it. 



There would probably be no representative of 

 the stone-fruit family in existence to-day were it 

 not for the protection afforded the seed by its 

 hard and indigestible covering. 



Regardless of animate foes, the seed would 

 perish from the effect of sun, wind, rain, and 

 frost, if denied protection. 



And this is by no means a mere matter of 

 inference. One of the great difficulties that 

 attended the experiments which I have just 

 narrated, was the preservation of the stoneless 

 seeds from one generation to another. It was 

 found to be exceedingly difficult. Various insects, 

 especially aphides, millipedes and eel-worms, 

 would get among them and quickly destroy them. 

 Fungous diseases also attacked them. And for 



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