THE CREATION OF NEW TREES 
trees have apparently defied all precedent,— 
they are not only of phenomenal rapidity of 
growth but they preserve all the hardness, 
tenacity and evenness of grain of their slow- 
growing ancestors. When I raised this point 
in conversation with Mr. Burbank, he sprang 
up from his chair in his characteristically ener- 
getic manner, was out of the room in a trice, 
and as swiftly returned from his repair-shop 
bearing a piece from a huge branch which had 
been cut off from one of the trees. It had 
been roughly squared by the workman and 
part of one side had been planed. The wood 
was unusually heavy to the hand, more like 
some dense tropic wood and very hard. It 
was of a beautiful color, the finish even by the 
plane alone showing its possibilities for taking 
a high polish. It will make a rare wood in its 
lighter color and will assume the darker wal- 
nut color when it is soaked for many months 
in water, as the black walnut is soaked before 
sawing in order to give it the peculiar dark 
hue. In point of fact, however, there are no 
doubt many who would prefer the lighter 
satiny tints to the darker. The heavy annual 
growth of the tree, forming such large layers, 
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