Bisbee daily review., 1908-02-02
BURBANK ANGRY AT FEDERAL EXPERTS
Declares His SpineIesS Cactus Is All That He Claimed
 For It,

Luther Burbank, the vegetable wiz ard, who proposes to make the desert regions of Arizona blossom with his ''spinsless cactus. good as food for man or beast. is angry; real angry, because of the publication of gov ernment bulletin which declares that the santa Rosa, Cal, wizard over-shOg the mark when he announced the pro auction of a spineless cactus that made excellent food.
 The bulletin in question is entitled -sThe Tuna as Food fer Man and is written by David Griffiths, who man ages to bear up under the job of as sistant agrostologist to the Bureau of Plant Industry. The bulletin was is- sued only last month. The disquiet. ing paragraph follows:
 "The general belief and hope that the spineless cactus will some day displace her wild sister on the desert wastes of California and Arizona, furnishing food and substitute for water to the lost prospector, is doomed to disappointment Experi- ments nave shown that this culti- yated species is unable to withstand the hardship of desert lift. It is doubtful whether science and cultiva- ton will make the fruit more accep- table than the wild variety, as there will be no way found to rid the fruit of the spines and spicules."
 A company has already been form ed to grow the spineless cactus in this Territory, being incorporated un- der tlf laws of Arizona, and its pro motors are reported to have paid Burbank a very large price for a very small box of seed of the spine less cactus. Burbank himself as- serts that he has several times serv ed spineless cactus to his friends, and that many are prepared to swear the stun is good to eat, and he inti- mates the government experts will either have to retract or have showed 6own their throats a big bunch of Arizona caeti with plenty of thurns on.
 Burbank Says They's Piqued.
 SANTA ROSA, Cal, Jan. 2S- Luther Burbank declares it is foolish ness to say his spineless cactus is not a success, and says the Govern ment bulletin was issued because the experts are piqusd that he beat them nv sCEhA AAA bhC NiEhGlbDlACuL Ol cactus. He further declares the cac- tus is far too valuable to have been given thorough trial and says it is perfect nonsense to talk about it not thriving
 The Spfneless Cactus company, or ganized under the laws of Arizona and capitalized at $500,O00, purchas- ed the California rights and is testing plants on the desert at Indio. It has five varieties and reports to Burbank that the plants are doing wonderfully well and that during the present win ter they have made a marvellous growth.
 These plants are guarded by men with shotguns and dogs and sur rounded by heavy barbed wire fences. These plants will be put on the market next summer. The German Consul in San Francisco is negotiating at present with Burbank to introduce the cactus into GeTmanys African possessions. Burbank says the cac- tus will produce twenty tons of fruit to the acre after three or four years growth. Next year Burbank will sell his fruit. This year none was sold, but each seed of the fruit eaten was saved. Burbank declares his spine less cactus a dead sure success"