LUTHER BURBANK 



improve a plant slightly by selection when propa- 

 gated solely in this way. 



But, on the other hand, it is obvious that the 

 plant that gives up the habit of seed production 

 renounces the possibility of benefiting by the in- 

 troduction of new strains through hybridizing — a 

 process, as we have all along seen, that is the 

 principal means through which plant evolution is 

 brought about. 



So, as regards the strawberry, it will be desir- 

 able to make sure that we have developed a fruit 

 to approximate perfection before we induce it to 

 give up the habit of seed production altogether. 



It can hardly be claimed that the strawberry 

 has reached this stage of development, notwith- 

 standing the verdict of the enthusiast already 

 quoted. But, on the other hand, it must be ad- 

 mitted that the best varieties of fruit approach an 

 ideal standard rather closely. And when we recall 

 that the development of these almost perfect vari- 

 eties has taken place very rapidly and within com- 

 paratively recent times, it seems a fair conclusion 

 that it will be possible to complete the perfection 

 of the fruit in other directions in less time than it 

 will take to remove the seeds. 



So the plant experimenter who would under- 

 take the task of eliminating the seeds from the 

 strawberry need not hesitate for fear of succeed- 



[82] 



