LUTHER BURBANK 



ent berries on the same bush. Each plant bears 

 exclusively berries of one color or the other. 



I have experimented extensively in the im- 

 provement of the berries of the different elders 

 and these experiments are still under way. 



My experiments began with the planting of 

 seeds of the Mexican elder, which bore berries 

 of medium or small size and of black color. Some 

 of the plants that grew from these seeds produced, 

 much to my surprise, berries yellowish-white in 

 color. 



Observing this tendency to variation, I at once 

 surmised that improvements might be made in 

 almost any direction with a plant that showed 

 this tendency. So more seedlings were raised, 

 and selection was made according to my usual 

 method. 



From the best of these seedlings many plants 

 were produced that bore berries of a yellowish 

 white or sometimes grayish color. While the ber- 

 ries were bitter, like elderberries in general, I 

 noted that some were less bitter than others. 

 Moreover, there was a diversity in size, and a 

 great variation as to productivity. A few of the 

 trees bore a constant crop all summer, blooming 

 and bearing fruit throughout the season and well 

 into winter. 



This was another unusual break in the tradi- 



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