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of the most beautiful things in the California country. I think somebody must have 
been handing out a joke to Mr. Harwood and he didn’t know it. 
Another thing: “He took a French plum, unknown in America, and grafted 
it upon a Japanese plum. The graft bore no bloom, but the tree was recreated if 
you will; its seedlings took on a wholly new life and became hybrids, its vital 
essence was changed through the medium of the graft.” 
I do not say that Mr. Burbank is responsible for this except by indirection. 
It is an old theory since men began to think of the influence of the graft upon the 
stock. It is useless to thresh i l t out here and I have no intentions of doing it, but 
I merely want to show the kind of mental pabulum that has been handed out from 
Santa Rosa to the body politic and the horticultural public at large. 
It would not be fitting, I think, after all I have stated, to close without pay- 
ing my tribute to Mr. Burbank, as far as I can honestly do it. I beliieve that Mr. 
Burbank is a sublime enthusiast. I believe that he has sacrificed much in his ef- 
forts to improve plant species. I want to say that I doubt if there is anyone who 
takes more comfort in the fact that he has been provided with the 
wherewithal to carry on his researches than I do. All that the professional florist 
ask is that the truth be known and nothing but the truth, and we say : “ W e are 
perfectly satisfied to have you go on as you are going, but don’t let matters get out 
which are discrediting you and us, and which only result eventually in making 
American horticulture a laughing stock for everyone who stops to think of it.” 
So much has been said about scientists that I am going to close by quoting a letter 
which I have received on the subject. It is but one of several which I have re- 
ceived from the Experimental Stations. I also want to say that from men in the 
trade, both in this country and abroad since I lifted my voice in this matter I 
have received many complimentary letters, saying to me that they were glad I 
took the stand which I did and that they coincided with my views; so much has 
been said about the scientists and the ordinary rag-tag and bobtail of the florists 
that I will reproduce the following letter without disclosing who was the writer 
of it : 
“I have just been reading your article in Florists’ Exchange on Burbank, and 
I want to compliment you on your honest, temperate and straightforward state- 
ment of the case. The situation is fast becoming intolerable. • The things that 
are claimed for Burbank are ridiculous — they go beyond hysteria and arrive at 
lunacy. If any man raises a word of protest the Burbank rooters immediately call 
him a sore head and say he is jealous of the marvelous achievements of the Mas- 
ter. We poor scientists, in particular, (if I may class myself in that category) are 
discounted in advance. The public is told that the scientists have always been 
against Burbank and are all jealous of his achievements. The very opposite is 
true. To my personal knowledge every scientist who has ever said anything of 
Burbank has gone out of his way to pay him a compliment, and has nearly always 
rated him higher in print than his actual merits deserve. 
“But the thing which most makes me want to fight is the vicious and false 
comparison always made or inferred between Burbank and other plant breeders. 
From the magazines you would think Burbank has done more than all the rest 
