The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-01-05
A PLANT WIZARD.
Observation-Disclosures
BY n SCIENTIFIC FARMER.
Hearing Pears as Largo as Water
melons ana Prunes OF Giant Size
Miniature Oak Trces-lInr-
vols OF Horticulture.

plants live in n strange, unnatural
way. Here giant oaks are Inn !e TO
grow perfect trees, but smaller than
the smallest bush ; pears are reared ms
large as watermelons; the gorgeous
lilly is trained SO that it liz produced in
miniature, so email that it can scarcely
be seen, and the marvellous perfec
ton OF its delicate make up must be
iound with microscope.
At this farm art has produced such
q wonderful change in nature that all
the beauties OF the world OF acricul.
ture AMI horticulture are shown side
by side, bat TO enhanced, diversified
corrected and changed that in walking
through the grounds one comes upon
sights that are never seen except IN
the mystical land OF dreams. Ard
yet oil this is produced in n most
natural way, and is the working out
o the ideas of one man.
This scientific farm has b9en started
near Santa Rosa. Cal, and its founder.
Luther w. Eurbnuk. has alrer Nv
ainCd the title o.; Ellison OF Plant
Life. The marvel Of II al is that he
works Tor purely soionhGc cause, and
refuses to receive wenith or conrt
lame. In fact, he 70 persistently re.
fuses money for his products that he
come to be looked ulon us some " hat
of II ctaub.
Burbank abandoned a growing
. nursery business OF $40, 0OO wear TO
devote his time md energy to scion.
titic research IN the " orld OF aeriyul.
lure. a bel ever in the lnws of evo.
luton, this wizard o! agriculture rro.
duces his wonders under the theory
that all the world is okin, and that the
relation between the spf cies is so in
Innate that by constant artificial Sc
lection, which Ia one OF the many tteps
IN the production OF new types, the
lines OF lie forces can DO chnneeh.
Working out this theory to nuke II
practical, Burbank has broken no tie
oid haolis OF plants, and by constant
struggle inculcaied new tr.ils.
The wizard has produced results TO
ntnttle the scientific hvrticu.turist and
farmer of The world. He plants the
seed OF n known specimen of plant
life. Suppose it is that OF n common
ounce, with which he has made vast
experiments. it frows and pnts forth
It's fIuit. Science j. then called np2n.
Cross roIlination, hyhriization fol-
Iows, nnd Ivy constant and faithful
work the wizard is rewarded by now
and valuable creation.
There are other creations. the no.
fitness OF whichsis not 80 readily rec
o8nized. Ia one part OF the great
garden there ien perfectly for ned li!lv
less than hal an inch in diameter. anil
another snow white flower OF the same
variety three feet in circumference
These specimens bloom side by side
yet neither Is like any other in the
world, and yet they are both OF the
variety that are seen in normal size
every day.
Another change wrought bv tbis
pryor into nature u ysteries is IN the
rrunes, which he has developed to Il
giant SIZE, Elk times as large rs those
IN general use, and from which thew
were derived. plum twelve times
the size OF the parent species has also
been created. aud pronounced hy GOOD
judges to be the hanlsomest in exist.
CDce.
The common Delaware plum tree
has leeu developed into bush three
feet high, growing plum which is in
describably delicioIs. From this
stock, also, has been developed the
shipper plnm, 30 large that two Of
them wall fill Mason fruit jar.
But it is in the flower kingdom that
this modern wizard has produced tue
new creations that have most amazed
the word. lie has now in blossom
over 80, unnamed types of lille.
specimens such as the world knows
nothing OF, but which are the direct
outcome of a type kaown to the
merest schoolboy. There unnamed
varieties alone represent value OF n
quarter OF Il million dOliars. Yet the
greater number OF them will be de-
'troyod, for destruction follows where
tho created type Is not considered sn.
perior to ne parent stock.
In this veritable Garden Of Ellen
nothing IS impossible, for the science
oil The mastery gardener has been
able to make nature produce any sort
Oi tree or shrub, plant or fruit, almost
Mt will. There Is great plot con.
tanning the japanese iris, in which a-e
thousands OF these queenly flowers, no
two without distinctive points OF diff
ference. Every color revealed by The
spcctroscope, every combination of
hues found IN the rainbow arch nre
here mingled in interminablo profu.
sion.
The immense garden is conducted 20
quietly that no one except tho great
experts OF the plant world understand
Just what Is being done. And VET
every fruit, as we'll as every garden
vegetable, grass. grain and Towering
plant cultivated IN the temperate zone
Is being experimental with, anI i'm
thousands Of instances new varieties
hove been evolved or old ones i'm
proved upon.
This scientific experimental farm,
IN it's situation alone Is quite as VIC 4 d.
0eriul as the creations almost dai.v
developed. 10 has every condition of
soil and climate best suited to the
work OF propagating plants. There
IA gentle slope toward the cnsf,
which permits the full benefit o. che
morning eun. The soil is light add
not oyereharged with moisture, bulin