LUTHER BURBANK 



success, several crossbred seedlings were found 

 among a lot grown from the seeds of a Japanese 

 plum that had been pollenized with various apri- 

 cot blossoms. 



The young seedlings could be early distin- 

 guished from the uncrossed seedlings by the 

 foliage, bark, buds, and general appearances; 

 differences being noticeable while the seedlings 

 were still less than a foot high. The combined 

 characters of the plum and the apricot were to be 

 noticed in the bark, the leaves, the buds, and 

 especially the roots. The apricot root is bright 

 red while the plum root is yellow, pale yellow or 

 almost white. The hybrid seedlings had red 

 roots. 



BATTLING HEREDITIES 



With the recognition of characteristics began 

 the great work of selecting and discarding. 



Moreover, fresh hybridizing tests were made, 

 and in due course other hybrids were produced, 

 some having the plum and others the apricot for 

 the seed parent. Where cross-fertilization could 

 be effected, it made no difference which way the 

 species were crossed. 



But the conflict of hereditary tendencies was at 

 once apparent. Hybrids appeared that departed 

 widely from the traditions of either parent. More- 

 over, there was the tendency to sterility that 



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