The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1906-04-07
THE WIZARD OF CALIFORNIA
Luther Burbank Brings About
Changes to P~lants-Might Well
Be Called a Magician.

" ON~-AS1 q AN6ANA%As I
In a vine-covered cottage which
stands in sunny California there
lives a man who is a wizard. At
least he does things so wonderful
that they seem like the work of
wizard.
If a mar with bushy hair and
pointed goatee and fierce mus
tache should come along and, with
a wave of his wand, cause a black
berry bush to produce white ber-
ries; if he took a small, imperfec!
daisy and changed the plant into
one that would yield large, beauti-
full, snowy flowers; if he should
change the perfume of a flower
and cause walnuts to grow with
thin shells and white meats, in
stead of thick shells and brown
meats-wouldn't you call such a
man a wizard?
But Mr.. Luther Burbank, who
has done all this and many things
still more wonderful, carries no
magic wand. If YOU should see
him some day working at his Won
ders you would call him a plain
gardener. If you should ask HIM
about his plants and flowers he
might tell you that he has only
helped to give nature a chance to
do some of the things she likes to
do. He would say there is a great
deal of hard work and patience
and trying in all he does, but really
no magic.
We have all noticed how a GER
tain plant or tree gives us every
wear the same kind of fruit. \ tree
that bears red apples always
bears Just that kind. We never
look there for apples of any other
color. If we have a geranlum
whose flowers are white we know
that it's flowers will always be
white. At least so we used to
think. But Mr.. Burbank is teach
ing us that with a little help ma
ture is willing to turn a red poppy
Into a yellow one, and to let the
prickly cactus grow without
|, thorns and briars.
Think what such a change will
mean. Thousands of miles on the
western plains are covered with
/, cactus which grows and thrives
even without rain. The plant will
: make a rich food for cattle when
Mr.. Burbank %persuades it to grow
without thOrns.
J But do not suppose these
changes are made in a single day
or a single summer. If a fruit is
to be improved a well,selected
( twig or slip is grated upon a thrift.
ty, healthy young tree, and then
: one must wait to see what grows.
: When Mr.. Burbank wishes to find
d new kind of flower or improve an
old one he sprinkles the pollen OF
3 fine powder of one flower upon thu
. stigma of another. This may give
him something new, If he likes
? the result he does the same thing
next season, always using thu
1 strongest, most thrifty plants
Think Of the careful work and The
years of patient waiting.
One of the most surprising
! things Mr.. Burbank has done is t.
: create a new kind of fruit. He call
J it the plumcot, because its fathe
was a plum and its mother was al
} apricot. 1t has no pit or stOn'
{ and is richer in flavor than eithe
u the apricot or the plum.
So, after nature has been work
: ing in her own way for thousand
: of years, here is a plain man Twin.
, in a cottage and directing natur
into new ways. Would you no
call him a wizard? Mr.. Andre1
Carnegie thinks these exper
:. ments so useful that he has give
: a large sum of money to be use
by Mr.. Burbank in his work.