PLUMS AND PRUNES WITHOUT 

 STONES AND SEEDS 



How ALL FRUITS MAY BECOME SEEDLESS 



A NUMBER of years ago a distinguished 

 pomologist who was not in the secret of 

 my newest plant development, visited my 

 place at Sebastopol in company with the eminent 

 botanist Professor Hugo de Vries. 



Standing by one of the plum trees, de Vries 

 asked his friend to cut through a plum and 

 examine the stone. 



Then with obvious amusement he watched the 

 pomologist work his knife carefully around the 

 center of the plum to avoid a stone that was not 

 there. 



As he told of it afterward, he declared that 

 even the boots of the pomologist indicated surprise 

 when the knife cut at last through the center of 

 the plum without meeting any obstruction. 



This was a case in which a man's surprise 

 would be somewhat proportionate to his knowl- 



[VOLUME V CHAPTER V] 



