LUTHER BURBANK 



There is no great difficulty in hybridizing the 

 various species, especially if care is taken to wash 

 away the pollen by the method described in the 

 chapter on artificial pollenation. But there is 

 great difficulty in fixing a variety after it is formed. 

 The hybrids tend to take on many forms, their 

 variability in the second generation suggesting 

 that of the gourd family. 



Of course, this difficulty does not apply in the 

 case of the artichoke, as this may be propagated 

 from tubers, just as the potato is propagated. So 

 any improved variety developed is fixed from the 

 outset. There has not hitherto been enough 

 demand for the plant in this country to stimulate 

 the plant developer to work with it. But it is 

 probable in the near future there will be renewed 

 interest in certain less common garden vegetables, 

 comparable to that shown in recent years in the 

 development of the orchard fruits, and in that case 

 the Jerusalem artichoke is almost certain to receive 

 recognition as a neglected vegetable that is worthy 

 of being generally cultivated. 



THE LETTUCE TRIBE 



Doubtless the best known member of the 

 composite family under cultivation is the familiar 

 lettuce. 



This plant has been so long under cultivation 

 that it is impossible to trace it back to the original 



[190] 



