LUTHER BURBANK 



This matter of the very doubtful result of the 

 first stages of a hybridizing experiment should 

 be emphasized, because otherwise the amateur is 

 pretty sure to become discouraged at the outset 

 and to proceed no farther. 



Many an experimenter has given up a quest 

 because when the two varieties of plant were 

 crossed the offspring seemed inferior as to the 

 desired quality to either of the parents. But the 

 experienced plant breeder knows that this is very 

 often to be expected and that he should not be in 

 the least discouraged by this result. It is necessary 

 to go on to the next generation before we can 

 hope to discover the real possibilities of the 

 experiment. 



The simple fact is that, where varieties or 

 species of plants that differ markedly as to certain 

 qualities are hybridized, the offspring very fre- 

 quently seems to present what has been spoken of 

 as a mosaic of characters rather than a blending. 

 It may and very commonly does manifest, as 

 regards any given quality, the influence of one 

 parent seemingly to the exclusion of the other. 



A familiar illustration of the same rule may 

 be observed when a person having black eyes 

 marries one having blue eyes. It is obvious that 

 no individual child of this union can have both 

 black eyes and blue eyes. In point of fact, it is a 



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