NEW CREATIONS IN PLANT LIFE 
well as the span of the whole flower, are im- 
portant. The object of these measurements is 
to find the plants which are coming nearest 
to the ideal in his mind. 
Out of the hundred thousand plants, those 
were chosen which came nearest this ideal and 
their seeds were in turn planted. This process 
was repeated for eight years. In the process 
of development that which often happens in 
his tests was seen,—certain plants produced 
what might be called unnaturally large and 
beautiful flowers. Sometimes the bloom of a 
single daisy would measure very nearly two 
feet in circumference, seven inches from tip to 
tip of petals. At first thought, these plants 
would be the ones naturally to be chosen from 
all the others. But not so. They had grown 
to their great size under peculiarly favorable 
conditions, both of climate, soil and super- 
vision. The aim in creating these plants was 
to fit them for the general public, for the 
flower lovers of the world; for Alaska and 
Florida, for Norway and Italy; for all sorts of 
soil, climates and people. It would be rare, 
indeed, that they would receive more than the 
average treatment of the average gardener; 
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