Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-09-26

states. IL can De picked any day IN
the year and is far more palatable
than the old time rhubarb
His blackberry has a fine flavor
and has excellent shipping qualities.
His thornless gooseberry makes
friends wherever it is planted. He has
hybrids of the strawberry and black.
berry, of the raspberry and blackberry
the apple and blackberry and scores
of others similar to these.
Beans, peas and other garden vege-
tables have been crossed with salts,
factory results.
In our own and European countries
Burbank's plums are regarded the best
the world has ever produced. He
| claims the Nickeson plum is the best
on the market. Thousands of acres O.
Nickson plums are growing today
in South Africa, particl arly ca tSa
Cecil Rhodes farm. The Clim1x plum,
cross of the Chinese nd Japanese
plum, is also very good.
Thousands of cannas bulbs and by.
birds have been planted with a view
to bring forth more nutritious food
than that reiished by the Indians.
On his Santa Rosa farm he has be.
tween 30 and 40 kinds of grass, hop.
ing to get a quick grower and fine
quality for feeding purposes.
His spineless cactus is developed
from three hardy northern varieti IS
|, and a small cactus from Central Amer
lea. He mas plants whose surface is
perfectly smooth Besides aiming Tor
| the spineless, selections are made to
develop nutritious fruit. Think of
1t! A cactus pleasant to touch, To
the arid regions of our country the
value of the plant will be inestimable.
That barren waste can supply ex.
cellent feed for hundreds of large
herds.
The hybrids of the English and
California black walnut are rapid
growers and unusually beautiful
shade trees. Before his house are
several of this variety of trees. their
imposing size is showing the prevail.
ing character. He has developed other
walnuts as remarkable for productive
ness of fruit as these are for size.
Flowers are Burbank's favorite
plants. He wants to make them bright.
er and richer. extend their blooming
period and make them cheaper that
the poorer people may be able to buy
them. In selecting his bulbs, such as
Amaryllis and Gladiolas, he takes in
to account not only the flowers but
| also the number of young side bulbs
produced in year. This quality of
rapid multiplication will determine
the price when placed on the market
He strives for aptitude of growing in
the open air because the masses have
not the luxury of a conservatory. To
/ adorn the homes of the poor by a pro
fusion of flowers larger and more
beautiful than those now seen in the
Conservatives of the rich is one of
his petted ideals.
His famous everlasting flower.
which has attracted such wide at.
tention, decerves all praise bestowed
upon 1t. The flower is a delicate pink
with a very sweet scent. Each plant
has a profusion of blossoms. As the
name suggests the flower is everlast
ing. Successful as the plant has
proven, he is still trying for a lower
growing stem and larger flower.
The Shasta daisy is large enough
to cover with the hand and as -icn in
beauty as in size. 1t bloous in shorter
time than any other daisy and con-
| unues for months longer.
The great variety Of poppies were
intensely interesting. Some years ago
Burbank found common yellow Cali.
| tornia poppy streaked with red. By
| continuous selection he has now a
crimson poppy, one variety at which
he has been working for three years
has a delicate blue color He has
been quite successful in getting
shades of salmon color. There are pop
pies from Iceland, Mexico and the
orient; there are poppies of all sizes
from the small wild one to the great
! bloom measuring 10 inches in diane.
| ter.
Some of the other flowers observed
were a purple larkspur, a crimson
| colored tobacco blossom, a yellow
colored Gala lilly and a red geranium
two and one-hah inches in diameter
Whenever it is possible to leave
his experiments Burbank will stroll
out among the wild flowers. Any un.
usual, or new type of plant or its
seed, is transported to his garden.
in one of the late numbers of the
London Garden, T. D. Cook its editor.
called Burbank "a poor imitator." No
! thing could be farther from the real
truth. He is the greatest plant breeder
in our country, perhaps in the world.
California has honored him by nam.
ing arbor and bird day Burbank day.
One of Andrew Carnegie's noblest
deeds was to make Luther Burbank
financially independent. Henceforth
all his energy can be devouted to ex-
peItments. Like our own Professor
Babcock he works not for himself
but for the good of his sellow-men