The San Francisco call., 1908-03-07
BURBANK REACHES
59TH MILE STONE
Plant Wizard Looks Back on
IS Years of Labor for
Humanity
Greatest Breeder of Useful Veg
citation Tops All With
New Cactus

Burpank, known as the worlds leader
In the development and creation of
plant life. His experimental farm at
Sebastopol is the acknowledged hor-
tlcuitural center of the world and is
visited yearly by thousands of people
who want to see the great plant magi-
clan. Many Of these people are mere
curiosity seekers, but among the visi-
/ tors have been some of the greatest
| living scientists. The following is a
list of the principal achievements of
Burbank during S5 years:
is7S-Ihe Burbank potato. Lunenberg. Mass.
lSI6-Reproducton In California of the same
potato, known as Salinas Burbank
1sIt-Crosses of Pacific coast lilies.
locv-lmproving standard California varieties
OF ruous family by selection, hybridizing and
Iiss2.Discoyery of silver variegated
Brides Myrtle; discovery of a way of growing
the oAYe more quickly and producing a finer
quality; development of new features in grating
and budding and advanced methods of
draining and irrigating.
1So3-Nursery contains South American melons,
japanese camphor trees and strawberries. for
elgn locusts, plums and nuts a million rose
plants; system Of world wide collection of seeds
and plants established.
INvENTS MANY BERRIES
1Ss4-Six varieties of hybrid berries
acquisition of II new varieties of blackberries
OF rare species from China Japan and Aus
1ss6-Increased importations of japanese wal
nuts and Blood plums; attempting crosses to
diminish the large pit.
Long Fruit" aud 'Masu." first of the new
lSSS-Appearance Of "Satsumap and Bur
bank plums. japanese hybrids able to endure 6
degrees below Zero The original Burbank tree.
p years old. never failed to produce its annual
crop. In this year Cecil Rhodes sent the man
ager OF his Cape Town fruit farms TO Burbank
with orders to adopt everything Burbank should
1sse-Nursery, finest in the west, and built up
from nothing to profit of $4,000 per annum.
sold In order that entire time and attention may
1se0-Producton. from over 1, 600, 600 Seeding
gladioli, OF California tdouble) gladiolius,"
lss2. .Apgearance Of the hybrid walnuts Roy
ais and Psrsdox the .,sgendor', prunes; the
October, Purple Purple HAZE. shiro. fse Red
June" and Abundance plums; the new
ounces. ''Childs," "vandeman" Alpha" and
new Seeding. "Ampelopsis yeitchi''; a
myrtle. begonia-leayed squash, silver lining pop
py, and crossbred seedlings Of tigridas, cannas.
arums. amyrillis. brodiaes, acquilegias and as
ters-
PUBLISHES FIRST RESULTS
Iss3-Publication of Burbank's first book.
lutionized plant breeding and gave horticulture
meaning. This contained announcement
OF numerous new fruits and flowers. some Of
them wonderful as freaks, others for their ster-
ling qualities and beauty.
lcSf-AppSdIdnce OF second eOlt1on OF new
Creations (slso out of PRINT; production of
Prolific and Doris plums; Giant and
Honey prunes; Humboldt and Humboldt
Paradox" blackberry -raspberries numerous lilies
more varieties the author says, than are
elsewhere in all the earth"
In the same year clematis was announced.
"a new race, growing vigorously hop
vines; also hybrid myrties, callas.
Snowflake" and Fragrance and seedlings Of
ise5-Formai introduc.ion of "Giant'' and
..wiekson" plums and the famous Iceberg"
blackberry-a lucious fruit, almost perfectly
1898 Introduction to the general trade Of the
and Apple plums; also the new roses Santa
Rosa" and fragrance and three Japan seeding
chestnuts, ''coe," Mcfarland" and Hale:
ls99--Advent of the distinguished climax.
sultan Bartlett and '.ShiroH plums, the
Sugar prune and Pineapple" ounce.
l9Oo-Sudden popularity of the Sugar prune
type; two new hybrid plums; an oriental poppy;
clematis and Gamma.
ations," with announcement Of the new crosbred
peach, -opulent,': the apple, "Winterstein,,; two
latter 50 named, the. author states, because it is
the earliest of all plums ripening in California
June 10; stoneIess prunes: improved peach plums.
and most talked about of sall. the 'PIumcot.''
the cross between the plum and the apricot.
There also appeared the asparagus Quality"
the verbena, Elegance: hybrids Of the Mexican
tiger or shell flower: the rose, "Coquito," and
the wonderful Shasta" daisy.
ANNOUNCES NEW DAISY
1a02-Appearance Of the Maynard plum; an
nouncement that the '-Chrysanthemum" daisy
which is to excel the Shasta is nearing per-
fection.
leo4-Dawn of the improved daisies alaska"
and ..California'' and ''Westraiia" new potatoes.
of a deep yellow, most agreeable to the palate;
experiments are begun with grasses for lawns
and provender. In this year the cactus received
much attention. Some of the guests. dining
the roots of that porcupine like plant found "a
dish more delicious than cooked bananas" But
the banana flavor is not the only one which
Burbank has given to the cactus.
During this year orders were received
from England for the Australian Grim
son winter rhubarb for the royal house
gardens-its introduction in England.
other new things of this year were
the lace flower, many new perrenials
and ANIMALS, the Australian star flower,
known so extensively since as the
'fadeless flower"
Among the most notable of Bur-
banks achievements during the later
years are the Shirley poppy; the
California wind poppy; the Patagonia
a new variety of squash. and the spine-
less cactus. regarding which the creator
says:
1T will be more easily grown than
potatoes. 1t will produce 200 tons of
forage to the acre and should mean
everything in the development of desert
fields"