LUTHER BURBANK 



commonly known as the prickly sow thistle. But 

 the two species are so crossed that it is hardly 

 possible to find one in California now that is not 

 hybridized. Such at least is my observation. 



I have worked on the smooth-leaved hybrids, 

 which are highly nutritious, making excellent 

 greens. 



The plants can be raised with the utmost ease, 

 and varieties were produced from these wild 

 hybrids, by selection and cross-breeding, which 

 were far superior to any specimens seen in the 

 wild state. 



So marked was the improvement that I was 

 somewhat disposed to introduce the developed 

 smooth-leaved sow thistle as a garden vegetable, 

 but hesitated to do so lest I should be blamed for 

 introducing a weed. The cultivated plant retains 

 its ability to produce a superabundance of seed; 

 which are drifted here and there by the wind. So 

 it might escape to the field and become a pest. 

 This of course is a danger that must be faced in 

 the case of any wild plant brought into the garden. 



But it should not be forgotten that all of our 

 present garden plants were at one time wild, and 

 that the tendency to superabundant production of 

 seed is likely to be lost when the plant is pampered 

 by cultivation. 



I have also worked with a very fine species of 



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