The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-10-06


viduals, where they would give some
body enjoyment, he replied that he was
afraid some one would take advantage
of his little kindness and speculate in
them.
When | asked Mr.. Burbank how
many varieties of pmms he had, he said
that he was now studying 100000 dis
tinct kinds. The number of his trees
is not so large. Some of them have
from thirty to 500 CRAFTS, and when the
fruit is ripe he walks along through the
rows, studying them carefully and Sc
Letting the best. His men follow him,
removing all of the trees which do not
show progress. Later he goes through
again, making his selections almost by
instinct, until, at the end of the year,
nine tenths of his orchard has been torn
away and the 100000 different kinds
of plums are reduced to half dozen
varieties. These are then multiplied
while all the others are destroyed and
replaced by new seedlings. In this work
Mr.. Burbank is guided by acute percep-
tions and gifts of Judgment which no
other nurseryman has ever developed.
In the meantime processes of Guilt
walton are going on. The fruit trees
he has selected for preservation are
those which, in his opinion, will re-
spond most readily to the forces he can
exercise.
81 am working just now" said Mr..
Burbank, upon about 1000 different
kinds of fruit, with the special object OF
extending the season of fruiting Most
trees ripen within few weeks say
six weeks or two months-and orchard
men are compelled to do all their work
within that time or lose a part of their
crop. If ! can extend the fruiting sea
son of prunes or plums six weeks, OF
even four weeks longer, you can real
ize what a great economy will be ac-
complished. l have already produced
crimson rhubarb plant that will ripen
the whole year round, and roses and
strawberries can be made to serve lis
every day in the year. l hope to be
able to do something in the same way
with the plum, the prune, the peach
the pear and the apple, and at the same
time improve their size, flavor and en-
durance as well as extend the bearing
season. | do not think it is impossible
1t has been done with many plants
Sixty years ago the richest sugar beet
yielded only 6 per cent of saccharine
This has been increased to 26 per cent
Sugar has been graded up in the same
way. Fifty years ago the cabbage was
a small bunch of leaves. Chestnut trees
formerly required from ten to fifteen
years growth before they began to
bear | have some that will bear in
eighteen months.
"You see those walnut trees outside
of the garden, along the sidewalk? They
are hybrid of the wild California wal
nut and highly cultivated English
variety. Their wood has a very fine and
beautiful fiber and takes on a beautiful
polish. They are very valuable and are
much needed, but walnut is a slow
growing tree. 1t takes many years for
it to attain sufficient size to make mar
ketable timber, but | have learned how
to make tree big enough for cabinet
work in six years | can grow a trunk
that will make log twenty feet long
and two feet square in twelve years. A
man can set out an orchard of these
trees and with proper cultivation have
his timber ready for market in six
years.
''The whole botanical kingdom is be-
ing revolutionized," continued Mr.. Bur
bank. ga great many men are at work,
particularly in France, England, Japan
and America, making plants more use
full and flowers more beautiful, harden
ing their defects and extending their
seasons. The drift is toward economy
to increase quantity and quality. The
vast possibilities within our reach are
amazing. 1t is not difficult to breed a
new rye or wheat or barley or rice with