The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-29
MONEY FOR BURBANK's WORK.
Carnegie Institution to Provide q subsidy
for the Plant Breeder.

Carnegie Institution to Proyide q euDoiuy
for the Plant Breeder.
The Carnegie Institution. Washington,
D. c.. has subsidized for a term Of years
the operations OF Luther Burbank OF
Santa Rosa, Cal, who has come to be
so universally known as the Wizard OF
Horticulture" A committee consisting OF
the president and some Of the directors
Of the institution has been organized for
the purpose OF carrying on q scientific
analysis Of the striking results In plant
breeding secured by Mr.. Burbank.
The committee consists Of r. s. Wood
ward. president, and Doctors G. B. Daven-
port and D. T. MaoDougal. This COM
mittee has just returned from q visit to
Santa Rosa, where a conference was held
with Mr.. Burbank as to scope. The work
will be conducted without any interrupt
ton to the series Of plant breeding expert
ments, some OF which Mr.. Burbank has
carried on for twenty or thirty years.
Various members Of the scientific stan
Of the institution will take up their resi-
dence with Mr.. Burbank and make a close
study OF his more noted plants. This work
has been undertaken for the purpose Of
gaining information on heredity and evolu-
ton.
For several years DR.. MacDougsl has
beer conducting a series Of experiments on
these lines at the New York Botanical Car
den, with results largely confrmatory Of
the theory given to the world some three
years age by DR.. Hugo De Vries \of Am
sterdam, that new species frequently de-
velop at once from parent plants instead
of always being the product OF years OF
time and a multiplicity OF minor changes, as
Darwin believed.
DR. Davenport OF the committee has been
an equally enthusiastic student OF the
problems OF evolution and is director OF the
Carnegie Evolution Laboratory at Cold
Spring Harbor. DIR. MacI'ougal is director
Of botanical activities OF the Carnegie In
stitution.
Among other problems the microscopic
anatomy Of hybrids will come In for q large
share of the attention Of the Investigators
at Santa Rosa.
Comparatively little systematic infor-
nation as to the manner In which the
elements Of two unlike plants combine In
hybrids exists, and the COMMITTEES hopes to
gain important results.
Incidentally the committee reports that
.Mr. Burbank's splendid work has been
%grievously misrepreeented to the. public
by various newspaper writer's, authors Of
books and others, some scientists and pseudo
scientists" while some OF the eimple6t
operations by which Mr.. Burbank has been
able to bring about the Improvement Of
fruits and vegetables have been enlarged
upon in q sensational manner much to the
detriment OF Mr.. Burbank's reputation,
and he has been accredited with perform
anoes to which he lays no claim"
As an instance the spineless cactus, to
which most wonderful properties have
been ascribed, is cited. 1t has been de-
scribed s having been produced by Mr..
Burbank, while the fact is, according to
a naturally spineless cactus with q spiny.
one In an effort to secure q form devoid OF
spines and spicules and to develop other
traits which would make the hybrids val
liable as forage and for their fruits.
Much progress has been made on these
lines, but the hoped for results are far from
accomplished facts.
Long practice, enduring and keen en-
the other hand, resulted in accomplishments
which rank Mr.. Burbank as t foremost
plant breeder in America. He works with
keen intuition and is able to foretell the
probable value Of his hybrids by inspection
in the seeding stage"
The detail work Of the study Of the prod
ucts Of Mr.. Burbank's plantation will be
carried on by DR.. George H, Shull Of the
and DR.. W. A. Cannon Of the Desert Botan-
ical Laboratory, Tucson, Ariz.
All the workers interested and the oom-
mlttee have planned to meet in the near
future to mature plans and provide for
the continuance Of the work.