ON THE ROSE 



the first of my important plant developments. In 

 a word, the Burbank rose, like the Burbank potato, 

 owes its origin to the discovery of a seed-pod on a 

 plant that rarely produces seed. 



The plant in the present instance was a Bour- 

 bon rose, of the familiar and typical species known 

 as Hermosa. This rose very rarely bears seed, 

 even in California, but on one occasion I discov- 

 ered half a dozen seed-pods on a plant that did 

 not differ otherwise in any obvious way from its 

 companion plants. 



I carefully treasured these seeds, and from the 

 plants that they grew are descended not only the 

 Burbank rose, but also the Santa Rosa, and a num- 

 ber of others that are less well known. 



With the fact that the Burbank rose was a 

 product of seeds thus accidentally garnered, how- 

 ever, the analogy with the Burbank potato ceases. 



For, whereas the tuberous vegetable was pro- 

 duced in full perfection on one of the plants grown 

 directly from the seeds found in the potato ball, 

 the Burbank rose was developed only after nu- 

 merous hybridizing experiments in which new 

 blood was introduced, and new qualities were 

 brought into the combination. 



Among other roses, the strains of which were 

 mingled with those of the offspring of the Hermosa 

 to produce the Burbank, was the Bon Silene. And 



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