The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-06
SEEDLESS FRUITS LACK THE
TANG.

Luther Burbank who by his Won
derful selection and breeding of
plants has won the title of wizard"
when asked in half-jest whether he
considered that if he could breed d
''seedless" plant he could not also hope
to produce in time a "seedless" man, or
a being devoid at the same time of the
weaknesses and the vices to which the
human race is prone, replied with the
cd the one great and real ambition of
his life. Surely such a wizard has the
confidence of his magic!
In the breeding of his "seedless"
fruits Mr. Burbank has shown more of
persistency and abroitness than ORR
ginal conception. The theory on which
he has proceeded is the old one of
Darwin and the successors of his prin-
ciple of natural selection and the con-
sequent variations of both plant and
animal life. To control these varia-
lions, however, to seize upon the espe-
cially desired trait in the individual to
intensity and make permanent the oc-
casional physiological biological or
spirpicultural class differentiation, un-
til the original exception becomes the
standard requires a control by the eX.
perimenter of the species to be devel-
oped which may with some difficulty
be maintained in the cases of horses
and dogs and more easily with flowers
and fruits. To make pink tube-roSe,
thousands of tube-roseS must be sac
rificed for the breeding of one that
varies from the rule, to manufacture
tail-less dog not only must thousands
of tails go to the block but recalci-
trant types must be murdered without
mercy. Man can hardly be treated so
cavalierly. He has a foolish notion
that he had rather nourish his ego as
it is than to die in the interests of a
beatific world Along with his absurd
sense of personal liberty-itself diff
ferentiatiOn in the race which has
doubtless given pain to the wizard
eager to improve it's morals by picking
out it's wife or banishing it to celibacy
if it does not exhibit the ''seedless" ten
dency desired-man is known even
fatuously to take pride in observing
his own gross characteristics crop
ping out in his offspring. Instead of
being properly lugubrlous upon OBJ
serving the reproduction of vices in
his youngster, the average husband is
apt to bully-rag his wife at the dis
covery, slapping his knee delightedly
and declaiming to the world that the
kid is chip off the old block" We
are afraid that Mr.. Burbank is out of
his depth at last in his designs against
the race, however successful he may
have been in producing crimson vio-
lets, seed-less grapes, rind-less melons
and homeless shad!
And, after all, perhaps it is better
thus. These seedless things somehow
fail, as it is sometimes vulgarly put.
Ito hit the spot" Along with the alb
sence of the old dscouraging features
of the fruit, there is missing also some
thing of the relish of the meat" The
best of the apple is always that which
is nearest to the core; and ham
bone which has to be scraped is in
dubitably the chief virtue of the pig.
There is a quality about the thing with
seed, a gusto lingering" in it's juices,
which the over-refined article in some
measure fails to furnish. 1t is all very
nice-but tiresome. And SO with man
gross. animal, hard-fisted, deep-pas
stoned man-we misdoubt that he
would be the same if he wore "a smile
of grace which stuck always to his
features. Certainly life would be a
tame affair, it's rewards would lose
their spice of victory, its juicy tissue
would not so crispen between the
teeth There is a tang to man who
is built on liberal plan of good and
bad that the seedless variety would
woefully lack; the sweetness of his
virtues and the strength of their APP
peal are heightened by the seed of his
Weaknesses and his tendency to strik"
out manfully-if with too much ag-
gression-in the face of the world.
In short, the ability to love is meas
ured by the common strength of hu
man force and human frailty. Nature
has ever hidden the bitter in the
sweet Life is. "mixtry'-and so Is
man.
The "seedless" sort would be a sad
survival The world is to be congratu-
lated that Professor Burbank, like
others who have had the will, yet Jacks
the power to spank it into shape