LUTHER BURBANK 



larger flowers, brighter colors, more compact 

 stalks, and a tendency to multiply more rapidly 

 from the bulblets and especially with greater 

 freedom from disease. The propensity to revert 

 toward the original type of the wild species- 

 small flowers, long slender stalks, closed blooms, 

 dull coloring, narrow leaves, and poor constitu- 

 tion is being subordinated as the selection is 

 carried through successive generations. 



And while there will be no metamorphosis in 

 the essential characteristics of this beautiful and 

 popular flower, further modifications of detail that 

 are of no small practical significance may confi- 

 dently be expected. 



We may well suppose that 

 when the Gladiolus was finally 

 brought to California, having 

 been shipped first from South 

 Africa to Europe and then 

 from Europe half way around 

 the globe, there was an added 

 stimulus, urging the plant to 

 still further modifications of 

 habit, and supplying yet other 

 elements of variation, such as 

 form the basis of all 

 plant development work. 



