LUTHER BURBANK 



perimented most extensively belong to the genus 

 Helipterum, and are known to the horticulturist as 

 Rodanthes. My work commenced with a so-called 

 double Rodanthes, which varies from white to red 

 in color. 



The seeds that furnished the original stock were 

 said to represent a double flower, but only a small 

 proportion of the plants that grew from them bore 

 flowers that were really double. That is to say, 

 there was almost invariably a center devoid of 

 petals. My work consisted in selecting to fill up 

 the center, and make a flower that is altogether 

 double. 



The flowers vary much in size, and the colors 

 are so variant as to supply good material for selec- 

 tion. But a difficulty arises in that the plants pro- 

 duce very little seed. My selective experiments 

 have now extended over a number of years, and I 

 have been able to increase the size of the flower, 

 to improve it considerably hi the matter of double- 

 ness, and to isolate to a certain extent the different 

 colors, although the plant as yet is not fixed in any 

 of these regards sufficiently to justify its introduc- 

 tion. The improvement already shown, however, 

 justifies the expectation that varieties of this ever- 

 lastings could be developed that would show 

 marked improvement over old types. 



I am experimenting also with everlasting flow- 



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