The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-08-31
THEORY OF CHILD CULTURE
Luther Burbank Says Train
Them as Fruits or Flowers
ENVIRONMENT A FACTOR
with the Child---Amcrican Of the
Future to be Morally Beautiful and
intellectually Fit---A Work of
Elimination.


Americas greatest naturalist ex-
presses his views regarding child
ulture when he says:
The two forces to be considered
!n reproduction are heredity and en-
t,ronment. In child rearing envir-
ppment is equally essential with he
tcdity. Mind you, do not say that
neredity Is of no consequence. It is
a great factor and often makes envir-
onment almost use ess. When the
hereditary instincts are indelibly in
grained environment will have
hard battle to effect a change in the
child, but that change can be
wrought by the surroundings we all
know. The particular subject may
be stubborn against the influences
OF environment, but repeated appli-
cation to the same modifying forces
In succeeding generations will ac-
complish the desired objects.
All animal lie is sensitive to en-
vironment. You can change the
oyster by gradually changing its en-
Vronment, and you know the oyster
is very low type of life. Take an
OK, horse. a dog, a man, and that
which often counts most In the de-
velopment of each is environment. OF
all animate things, the child Is the
most sensitive. Surroundings act
upon 1t as the outside work acts upon.
the plate In the camera. Every pos
sible influence acting exteriorly will
10 tt,,rN ,lI
the traits which 1t inherited will be
overcome to a certain extent, in many
cases almost being even more appar-
cnt than heredity.
There Is no doubt that II a child
with vicious temper be placed in an
environment of peace and quiet the
temper Will change. Put boy born
of gentle white parents among In
dians and he will grow up like an
Indian. Let the child born of GRIM
inal parents have a setting of moral
ity and decency, and the chances are
that he will not grow into criminal,
but an upright man.
do not say that heredity will not
sometimes assert itself to some eX-
tent, Of course. When the criminal
instinct crops out in an individual it
might appear as If environment were
evelled to the ground. But higher
nvironment will become fixed.
We in America form a nation with
10 bloods OF half the peoples of the
,orld within our veins. We are more
Tossed than any other nation in the
,istory of the world. All the neces-
sary crossing has been done, and now
comes the work of elimination, the
work OF refining, until we get an ul-
innate product that will be the finest
human race known. 1t is no doubt
this country which will produce that
specimen. Many years will be con-
.sumed before the finished work Is at
tained, but 1t Is sure to come. The
characteristics of the many peoples
that make up this nation will show
in the composite with many of the
evil characteristics removed, and the
finished product will be the race Of
the future.
Sometimes | am appalled, when ]
read of the increase Of insanity, sui
eide, murder, the ills of the flesh.
oldllSllCo SnON Shih6o W A'ohS
us pause, but after all the proper
point of view is that Of the optir list.
The time will come when insanity will
be reduced, suicides and murders
will be fewer and man will become
being OF few Ills and bodily troubles.
Wherever you have a nation In which
there is no variation there Is COM
paratively little insanity or crime or
exalted morality or genius. Here
in America, where the variation is
greatest, the statistics show a greater
percentage of insanity and all other
variations. AS time goes on In Its
endless and ceaseless course environ
ment will crystalline the American
nation. It's varying elements Will be-
come unified, and the wedding out
process will probably leave the finest
human product ever known. The
color, the perfume, the size, the shape
that were manumitted in plants will
have their analogies in the compo-
site, the American Of the future.
In my work with plants and fiow-
ers / introduce color here, shape
there, size or perfume, according to
the products desired In such pro
sesses the teachings of nature are
followed. Its great forces only are
employed. All that has been done
for plants and flowers nature has al
ready accomplished for the American
people. BY the crossing of bloodi
strength has In one instance been Sc
cured, In another intellectually, II
still another moral force. Nature
alone could do this. The work o.
mans head and hand could not bt
summoned to prescribe for the de
velopment OF a race.