Some Experiments oj Euther Burbank 



nature of things, the demands of his work, and 

 the necessity for the sale of new forms produced 

 by him, have prevented the keeping of detailed 

 records of his work, although steps have been 

 taken toward the provision of explicit records in 

 the future. For the rest, Mr. Burbank' s success 

 in practical achievement gives weight to his views 

 on theoretical questions. 



The process of formation of new types may 

 be grouped under four heads: selection, crossing, 

 hybridization and mutation (or saltation). The 

 process of artificial selection is used in all cases, 

 those varying strains likely to prove useful being 

 preserved, the others destroyed. The word ' cross- 

 ing ' may be advantageously used for the mingling 

 of strains within a species, and 'hybridization' 

 for the breeding together of members of different 

 species. The name * mutation' (or preferably 

 * saltation ' ) is applied to sudden changes of char- 

 acters for which no immediate cause is apparent. 



Not many of Mr. Burbank' s results are due to 

 unassisted selection, as the processes of crossing 



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