LUTHER BURBANK 



We should see that the bees and butterflies and 

 birds, with their help, and the caterpillars, locusts 

 and deer in their efforts to destroy, have all served 

 to aid the onward march. 



We should see all the while a steady change for 

 the better — sturdier pear trees, brighter blossoms, 

 more seed, better fruit. 



We should see that, with the aid of the elements, 

 the pear tree adapted itself to exist, hardened 

 itself to withstand many soils and many weathers. 



We should see that, with the unintended aid of 

 its plant and animal enemies, it gained strength 

 through overcoming them. 



We should see that, through the bees, it was 

 helped into variation by mixing up heredities; 

 and, by the birds, it was helped into still further 

 variation bj' mixing up environments. 



Then, overshadowing all of these influences, 

 there came into its life new influences of man — 

 man savage and civilized. Oriental and Occidental 

 — man with a liking for pears. 



Here in America, we who have grown pears 

 have saved those which were the sweetest, the 

 largest, the juiciest, the most luscious — because 

 those were the ones we liked best. 



When we have bought pear trees to plant in our 

 yards, we have chosen those which would give us 

 the kind of fruit we prefer. 



[124] 



