HARDENING AND ADAPTATION 
happened to be setting out tiny plants, new 
types of berries under test. The long rows 
were clearly outlined in the earth, stretching 
like tiny green threads across an acre or two 
of ground. The plants were set out just as 
they came from the little square boxes in 
which they had been raised from the seeds, 
thousands of them being put out, and as Mr. 
Burbank came to one of the workmen he said: 
“If I only knew which one of all these 
thousands is the one I want, you wouldn’t 
need to set out any of the rest.” 
So in all the work of hardening and adapt- 
ing, if he only knew precisely which ones to 
cross to produce the results in the shortest 
possible time, how great would be the saving! 
But there are few laws to guide when a new 
creation in the plant world is to be made, and 
none which will anticipate the end. Bending 
over a path one day as we were walking 
through the grounds, he drew a long line in 
the earth. Then he drew cross lines at 
intervals. 
“There is the scheme,” he said. “That long 
line represents the life of the plant through all 
its past history. This cross line represents a 
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