LUTHER BURBANK 



A plant that is exceptionally interesting because 

 of the work that has been done with it in recent 

 years is the familiar evening primrose (Oeno- 

 thera). 



Mention has been made in another place of the 

 famous work of Professor DeVries, which fur- 

 nishes the foundation for his celebrated theory of 

 mutation. It will be recalled that Professor De- 

 Vries found specimens of evening primrose that 

 departed so widely from the form of their parent 

 as to seem to constitute new species. The question 

 whether these mutations were of unexplained 

 origin, or whether they were really due to hybrid- 

 ization, is still perhaps an open one. But, in any 

 event, the use made of them by Professor DeVries 

 called particular attention to this plant, and has 

 given it a place quite apart among flowers of field 

 and garden. 



There are many species of evening primrose, 

 and the tendency to vary among them is marked. 

 Variation, however, does not extend to the flower. 

 There may be all manner of modifications of stem 

 and leaf, but the typical blossoms of the evening 

 primrose are of a pleasing pale lemon yellow. 

 MY PRIMROSE EXPERIMENTS 



I have experimented with the primroses, cross- 

 ing them quite extensively. One form that was 

 received from the mountains of Chile has given 



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