THE THORNLESS EDIBLE CACTUS 
these new plants were then planted. So per- 
sistent is the cactus in its habits that thou- 
sands of new seedlings showed no tendency 
toward improvement. Indeed, many of them, 
as if in very defiance of man, bore uglier 
thorns than any of their ancestors. Many of 
them were a mass of woody fiber. But some 
very few showed that a profound change was 
coming over their lives. This was indicated 
by a notable lessening of the spines, thorns 
and bristles. All such plants were isolated for 
further crossing and selection. Tests were 
going on all the while, also, to ascertain 
whether or not any plants were losing their 
spicules. Such as were found improving in 
this direction were also isolated. And so for 
every excellence desired there was the sharpest 
scrutiny, and also for every bad feature—it 
was a daily battle for the best. At last, when 
ten years had gone by, the end: of all this 
preliminary breeding and crossing and selecting 
came, and alongside the white picket fence 
which surrounds the home of Mr. Burbank 
rose a giant cactus, fully eight feet in height, 
bearing thalli or leaves from ten inches to a 
foot in length, five to eight inches in width, 
153 
