LUTHER BURBANK 



"I represent a white blackberry," A replies, let 

 us hope with dignity. 



"Well, there isn't any way of blending white 

 paint and black and keeping things white, is 

 there?" B continues. And this argument is con- 

 clusive. The two color factors are assembled, and 

 it is conceded that the future plant will bear black 

 fruit. The black pigment overlies the white like 

 a double coat of paint, and a black fruit is pro- 

 vided for. 



When the elfin architects have finished their 

 task, then the factors representing the materials of 

 the two germ cells have all been satisfactorily 

 paired, and provision has been made for a future 

 bramble that will have a thorny stem and will bear 

 black berries — a plant that is unlike either parent, 

 although built of no material except factors drawn 

 from the two parents. 



Recall, however, that the factors for thornless- 

 ness and for white fruit were not eliminated. They 

 were only overlaid by the opposing factors. They 

 go forward in the germ plasm, each pair of fac- 

 tors being constantly multiplied through division 

 in the mysterious way that characterizes living 

 matter, so that for each factor that entered into 

 the original structure, there are now multitudes 

 of factors. 



And in the next generation, when new pairs of 



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