MlEFACE 



cordial and generous appreciation of the book, 

 my most hearty thanks are due. To those few 

 who have criticized without adequate knowl- 

 edge I may only express the sincere hope 

 that they may let themselves come to a fuller 

 understanding of the man and his work, and 

 thus be enabled to see that that which they 

 may honestly have thought too high praise 

 was, indeed, but a conservative appreciation; 

 for he who deals with the life-work of Luther 

 Burbank deals with that which is unique 

 among the enterprises of the age, and of a 

 noble and unparalleled scope. 



W. S. H. 



Los Gatos, California. 



XI 



