ON HEREDITY 



to become tlie parent of a new race of potatoes, 

 it may be said that he was then fairly started on 

 his successful career of plant improvement. 



Had he rested on his honors and been satisfied 

 with this single new production, the world would 

 always have been his debtor. 



For up to that time the potatoes of the world 

 were small, more or less uncertain of bearing, and 

 of mediocre yield. The older varieties — disregard- 

 ing the fact that their yield was but one-fourth of 

 the present production, would find no buyers in 

 our markets. 



With the same work — indeed with less — both 

 the pioneer who grew potatoes for his own 

 sustenance and the potato specialist who produced 

 his crop on a commercial basis, were able to 

 quadruple their output — to make four measures 

 of food — four measures of profit — grow where but 

 one had grown before. 



And today, when more pounds of potatoes are 

 grown than of any other food crop of the world, 

 the increase made in a single year's crop — the in- 

 crease gained without any corresponding increase 

 in capital invested or cost of production — amounts 

 to an astounding sum in the millions. 



Possibly at no other time in the history of the 

 nation could the Burbank potato have come more 

 opportunely. 



[61] 



