The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-01-24
EXPERTS DFCRY
BURBANK'S BIG
ACHIEVEMENT
Boldly KNOCK the Spineless
Cactus as Being an
ImpossibiIity
Criticism Stirs a Hornets
Nest for Authors and
Arouses Wizard
Enmify Inspires Assertion That
the New Creation Can Not
Grow on Desert

The dream that the spineless cac-
tus will displace its wild sister on the
desert wastes of California and Ari-
zona, furnishing food and drink for
man and converting arid lands into
populous communities, seems doomed
to disappointment. 1t is feared that
there will be no way found to rid
the fruit of its spines and spicules.-
Professors David Grifhths, assistant
agrostologist of United States depart
ment of agriculture. and r. F Hare,
chemist of New Mexico agricultural
college, in government bulletin just
issued.
Such statements by the writers of
this bulletin are ludicrous. The bull
letin was inspired by Hare, a self
centered individual who began expert
ments with thornless cactus after my
preliminary announcement and made
failure. Thousands of persons have
seen, eaten and handled my thornless
cactus. am content to LET my work
speak for itself. AS medicine thorn
less cactus is sure cure for lockjaw
and blood poisoning.-Luther Bur-
bank, California plant wizard
The publication of ponderous bulle-
tin by the United States department
of agriculture on the subject OF cacti
has stirred up hornets. nest for its
authors and reused Luther Burbank to
wrath and reply. 1t has caused much
ridicule and censure to be hurled at
the department OF agriculture for its
refusing to recognize the progress that
has been made in the cultivation of
cacti by the California plant wizard
IGNORE BURBANK's WORK
The government experts declare
that the spineless cactus cannot be
grown on the desert and is not fit food
for man. Luther Burbank and hun
dreds of loyal supporters say they have
seen the spineless plant growing on
the desert and have eaten many de-
licious meals composed of the fruit.
Burbank also charges that malice in
spired the publication
The bulletin OF the agricultural de-
partment is a long treatise on THE
Tuna as Food for Man" 1t apparently
goes deeply into the subject and
abounds in Latin terms and technical
explanations. 1t tells the history OF
each of the varieties of the plant and
describes where it thrives in various
parts of the world. But the book en-
tirely ignores the work of Luther Bur-
bank, and calls impossible many things
well known to have been accomplished
by the Santa Rosa plant breeder.
In one place the bulletin says:
Economic species (of cacti) are not
known which thrive under a minimum
temperature of less than 10 degrees
above zero" Burbank has demonstrated
live at 40 degrees below zero. The
bulletin declares that the so called
spineless cactus is unable to withstand
the hardships of desert life, and adds:
Science and cultivation will not make
the fruit more acceptable than the wild
variety
ENMITY OF HARE
Burbank said last night that Pro-
cultural college had been his enemy
ever since the latter's failure to dupli-
cate the perfect spineless cactus.
"Ie has sought to discredit my work
in many ways said Burbank, "and this
bulletin is simply a new method of at
tack The statement made in the bulle-
tin that thornless cacti will not grow in
the desert has some foundation in fact,
but Is so stated that it is absolutely
The cactus was originally
spineless. Nature added the spines to
the plant for protection. when the plant
became denizen of the desert. There
fore it is true that the spineless plant
will not grow in the desert unless it
is protected In some manner. But all
that is necessary is fencing to keep off
animals. The spineless variety will
produce 200 tons to the acre to the
wild plants 20. The plants are four
times as large in size and contain 10
times as much food material.
FOR FOOD AND MEDICINE
The spineless variety OF cactus con-
tains much more sugar and starch than
the wild. 1t makes a splendid salad. is
good for soup and is not bad fried. The
fruit of the plant makes delicious
Jam or preserve, and eaten raw is con-
sidered as good IL not better than