LUTHER BURBANK 



and yet would be as long-lived and vigorous as the 

 almond, and hardier and more resistant than 

 either. 



It is true that no very striking results have yet 

 been produced by crossing almond and peach, 

 though many unusually vigorous and rapid-grow- 

 ing trees have been produced which will far out- 

 grow the most vigorous individuals of either 

 species. 



But hybridizing, followed by rigid and persist- 

 ent selection, is a practical method that is still in 

 its infancy. It is not so very long since orchardists 

 in general, supported by technical botanists, de- 

 nied the possibility of hybridizing different 

 species. 



My long series of varied experiments were 

 perhaps more directly instrumental than any other 

 influence in showing the fallacy of this belief. The 

 reader will recall that I have in many instances 

 interbred species belonging to different genera; 

 and that the interbreeding of different species in 

 my orchards and gardens is a commonplace. Yet 

 it is still true that there are many cases in which 

 there are seeming barriers erected between plants 

 that obviously are closely related, which prevent 

 the advantageous hybridizing and grafting of one 

 species with another. 



And the peach is a case in point. It accepts the 



[16] 



