LUTHER BURBANK 



the blossoms of the first generation. Some were 

 double and of various shades of the opium poppy. 

 The range of color included almost black, deep 

 crimson, purple, light crimson, salmon shades, 

 pink, white, and various combinations of these col- 

 ors. Yet on the whole the color variation was not 

 greater than that ordinarily found in the opium 

 poppy. 



The second-generation plants seemed not to 

 have the vitality shown by those of the first gen- 

 eration. There were exceptions to this, however, 

 individual plants manifesting a vitality in excess 

 of the average of the first-generation plants. 



Most of the second-generation hybrids that pro- 

 duced double blossoms proved to be annuals or 

 biennials, partaking thus of the characteristic of 

 the parent from which they derived their double- 

 ness of blossom. This is perhaps what might have 

 been expected. It is notable, however, that the 

 quality of annual or biennial growth should have 

 reappeared in these hybrids of the second genera- 

 tion, the first generation hybrids having been, as 

 already noted, all perennials. 



But, on the other hand, some of the second 

 generation hybrids were perennials, and have con- 

 tinued to live and thrive, bearing large quantities 

 of blossoms each season. 



Thus the perennial and annual habit appeared, 



[160] 



