Personality of plants

PLANTS AND MEN
Amaryllis has twelve-inch blossoms. The Tigri-
dias is suectacular, the blue Poppies are odd and
there are many extraordinary Lilies,
The substitute for Grass developed by the
California naturalist thrives through the most
severe drought and so is of practical economic
value. His improved Walnut Trees grow to a
large size in a few years and his Chestnuts bear
abundant crops when they are mere bushes.
Spineless Cactus is a very valuable creation.
All these results are obtained in what seems
to be a very simple way, yet their successful
outcome is only made possible by the mind of
genius working with infinite patience over long
periods of years. To select out of a group of
plants a few individuals which show excep-
tional quality of a desirable type; to save the
seed of these favoured few and make further
selections among their progeny; to couple with
this the cross-pollenizing of different varieties
or species showing a tendency to greater varia-
tion or accentuation of characteristics—all this
may seem only high grade garden practice,
but only one man in two or three generations
has the exceptional and sympathetic perceptive
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