LUTHER BURBANK 



When the apricot and plum were crossed to 

 produce an intermediate fruit, the accomplishment 

 was thought by some botanists to savor of a viola- 

 tion of the laws of Nature. 



BREAKING DOWN A BARRIER 



Notwithstanding the general acceptance of the 

 idea of evolution of species, a reminiscence of the 

 old special-creation point of view lingered. Even 

 if existing species have evolved in the past, they 

 were fhought to be fixed in the present; or at any 

 rate to be separated by impassable hereditary 

 gulfs. 



If, by a rare chance, species did interbreed, 

 it was supposed pretty generally that the offspring 

 must necessarily be sterile. 



Therefore, when the statement was made that 

 I had crossed the plum and apricot, and produced 

 a healthy and vigorous new fruit, it was met with 

 profound skepticism from most quarters. 



But it was only necessary to bring the skeptics 

 to the trees themselves and introduce them to the 

 new fruit to convince them that what they con- 

 sidered impossible had really been accomplished. 

 The Plum-apricot hybrid attests its heritage con- 

 vincingly to any competent observer. 



As we have elsewhere seen, the apricot has 

 been found difficult to improve, because of its 

 lack of adaptability pliability, as it may be 



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