THE LUTHER BURBANK SOCIETY 



of Luther Burbank's work and was a vivid esti- 

 mate of the tangible value to the world which even 

 minor improvements in industrial plants are 

 capable of producing. 



"In the light of what has been accomplished", 

 said Prof, de Vries after a visit to Luther Bur- 

 bank's Experiment Farm, "it seems quite possible 

 to breed a new wheat, a new barley, new oats and 

 new corn, which will produce one grain more to 

 each head; or to bring out a new variety of potato 

 which will surpass the original kind, by the addi- 

 tion of a single tuber to each plant; or to improve 

 a tree to the extent of making it bear one more 

 apple, one more pear or one more nut, upon its 

 branches. 



"Such transformations are insignificant, almost, 

 in comparison with the long list of spectacular 

 transformations which have been wrought — ^insig- 

 nificant, that is to say, from the standpoint of the 

 plant improver. 



"It is only when we contemplate the astound- 

 ing monetary results that such apparently slight 

 changes produce, that we realize their importance. 



"The addition of a single kernel to the ear of 

 com, would, for example, in the United States 

 alone, produce an extra crop equal to 5,100,000 

 bushels — an annual addition of millions of dollars 

 to the farmers' pockets. 



[248] 



