NEW CREATIONS IN PLANT LIFE 



breeding upon all people is its distinct moral 

 influence. 



No man, he holds, can be a successful plant- 

 breeder and practice deceit. He stands face to 

 face with Nature, who never lies. No man, as 

 he puts it, can come close to the heart of 

 Nature and see how absolute is her honesty, 

 never for a moment deviating a hair's breadth 

 from the line of truth, and not be made a 

 more honest man for the contact. In short, 

 beyond all spirit of ethics, a man, he puts it, 

 must be an honest man or he will never 

 succeed at plant-breeding; — if he is not an 

 honest man when he begins, Nature will 

 make him so or drive him out of it. 



So there are five cardinal points in Mr. 

 Burbank's argument for the extension of plant- 

 breeding among people of all classes: 



1. The possibilities in the creation of new 

 flowers and vegetables of surpassing value. 



2. The intense fascination of the work, not 

 only giving delight but broadening and 

 deepening any life which takes it up. 



3. The opportunity for the production of 

 flowers and vegetables which shall have a 

 distinct commercial value. 



346 



