The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-11-15
CHIEvEMENTs OF A MAN
esting Notes ON Luther Bur-
bank, the "Plant Wizard"

esting Notes ON Luther Bur.
bank, the "Plant Wizard"
Judge C. c. Goodwin, in Good.
wins Weekly
hen Luther Burbank was a baby
Is cradle, he was given a flower
lay with. A petal became de-
ed. Baby that he was, he tried
the petal back into its place in
flower.
Nyhen a year and half old, his
ght was to carry about little
Ned cactus plant, and when he
ped and fell, breaking the poi
Il the flower, he was inconsolable
When scarcely twenty he produced
4 Burbank potato, which has made
sozen men fortunes and added in,
Unable blessing to the poor of two
8tinents.
When a lad a group Of farmers
4 mechanics tried in vain to put
,ether a piece Of agricultural ma
merry. When all had failed he
pped forward and suggested that
certain piece of machinery be put
a certain place. The problem was
lived and he was asked what sug-
3sted to him the use of that bit of
achinery. His reply was, You
uldn't put it any place else"
In childhood he had a passion for
:perimenting with plants. He near
starved through pursuing his ex-
,riments. He lived for a long time
scraps of meat the butchers gave
lm-scraps they had tossed aside
,r the dogs. All his friends urged
i'm to give up trying to make a
wing in his nursery.
A bigoted fool of preacher one
ny asked him to attend a sermon
hich he proposed to devote to Bur-
ank's work. He went filled with
ope, thinking that maybe he was
nally to have recognition. The SER
on had been widely advertised. I'm
CINE how Burbank must have felt
hen the so-called follower of Christ
oured forth torrent Of denuncia-
on upon the working dreamer who
ad never a thought except in love
,r his kind and for the flowers, de-
airing that Burbank was seeking to
nsurp the attributes of God by at
mpting to create new forms of plant
fe; that If God had wished these
ew forms produced, he would have
reated them himself rather than
ave assigned the work to Luther
urbank.
That preacher ought to have been
tripped of his clothing right there
nd told that if God had intended
i'm to wear clothing he would have
rovided it as he had for other apes.
Now you see the list of few things
lat Luther Burbank has done. He
as by pollination caused the seed
{ one corner of the poppy plant to
row an annual plant; of another
orner a perennial; from another
orner white peoples. He has pro-
uced one type of poppy that is of
ull orange color with a white CEN
sr and a smooth edge; another one
ure white with green center, the
hole surrounded with fringe. He
as crossed the plum with the april
ot and produced the plumcot. He
as produced plum trees bearing so
bundantly that one tree had to be
ripped of $4,000 green plums to
eep the tree from being destroyed,
nd then the plums left were all
he tree could stand under. He has
reduced plums with the fragrance
I flowers and others with the flaw
r of Bartlett pears.
A scientist who called upon him,
lille admitting his miracles with
lants and flowers. ventured the be-
EFF that he could do nothing with
'ees, as he would have to wait so
ing for results. Then Mr.. Burbank
ointed to half a dozen walnut trees
hitch had been planted on a road
lde and had received no care. They
ere the result of crossing the En-
lish walnut with the California
lack walnut trees and black wal