LUTHER BURBANK 



I endeavored to make such improvement by 

 the usual method of crossbreeding. 



About 1897 I combined the Sugar prune with 

 the Tragedy. There were only twelve or fifteen 

 seedlings from the cross. But these were carefully 

 grafted upon older trees, on larger branches where 

 they would be in less danger of injury. This, of 

 course, made the bearing of fruit a year later than 

 if they had been placed upon the smaller branches. 

 But it seemed worth while to wait for fruits of 

 such high promise. 



The whole tree was given over to each of the 

 seedlings. Nor was this exceptional solicitude 

 unavailing. For among these carefully nurtured 

 cions was one that bore a fruit that surpassed 

 even the hitherto matchless Sugar prune. 



After a period of trial, in which it met the 

 severest tests, this superlative prune was intro- 

 duced as the "Standard." 



It is rather curious to record that, with a single 

 exception, all the remaining cions of this patri- 

 cian sisterhood have proved wholly worthless as 

 prunes. But that, of course, was a matter of no 

 consequence. It sufficed that one cion came to 

 fruitage with the paragon of prunes. 



The Standard prune surpasses the Sugar prune 

 in quality. It also has a stone that is entirely free 

 from the flesh, being the first prune ever produced 



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