The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-03-17
A Talk With Luther Burbank
The Wizard Tells Of Some Successes and
Some Failures. - - -:- -

While the plant creations of Luth-
er Burbank have made his name
household word throughout the
world, very few even Of the residents
of his adopted State know anything
of the Wizards" personality. He
has no time for the limelight, even
IL he had the taste, and, as he tells
you, he can talk more readily to his
flowers than to an audience of peo-
pie. On rare occasions, however,
when he emerges from his picketed
ground for a little journey in the
world, to attend florists conven-
tion or what not, he can be persuad-
ed to address a sympathetic company
on the subject to which his life is de-
voted-the improvement of plants.
you can do anything you like with
a plant II you have time enough" he
observed as a picture Of his thorn
less cactus patch at Santa Rosa came
to view. Twelve years ago I became
impressed with the possibilities of
the opuntia cactus, or prickly pear,
as a forage plant, II only the spines
and the bristles could be done away
with There exist in nature certain
of the cactus tribe which are thorn
less, but none of these are of sufii-
Client size or are rapid enough grow
ers to be of practical value to the
stock raiser. had specimens of
opuntias sent to me from all over
the world, and by selection and cross
ing, raising year after year thousands
of new seedlings, only to be grubbed
up as unavailing, I at last was re-
warded in creating variety absolute
ly without spines or bristles. The
original plant from a seed has grown
in three years to height of six
feet and Is six and one-half feet in
diameter.
II have half dozen other spine
less varieties, and they were all put
on the market for the first time last
summer, although some dishonest
dealers both here and in Europe have
been offering so-called spineless cac-
tus for couple of years. The thorn
less varieties cannot be raised from
seed, but are propagated only from
cuttings, which must first be wilted
in the sun for week or two before
they will grow. After that they will
root anywhere any end up-even in
your overcoat pocket or on the floor
back of the stove"
A single leaf of the best variety of
the thornless cactus-the Santa Rosa
was sold for $1,000 to John M.
Rutland, of Melbourne, Australia,
with the right to sell in the South
ern Hemisphere; and one leaf of an
other variety was disposed of to the
same Australian horticulturist for
$500.
But the forage proposition" con-
tinued Mr.. Burbank, "is by no means
all there is to cactus culture. The
fruits have wonderful possibilities.
Many of my helpers prefer pear to
apricots or peaches, and I myself find
it delicious. There is great variety
and my ambition now is to produce
type that will bear distinct vari-
eties of cactus fruit, the same as diff
ferent varieties of apples are char
acterized by different flavors.
Changing the subject now to flow-
ers, the famous eschscholtzia, or Cal
ifornia poppy, used to be known only
as a yellow flower, but now the for
lists will sell you crimson variety.
This was six or seven years in the
making. I have often noticed indi-
viduals with bronzy tint on the out
side of the petals; but one day
came across one that had a streak of
red inside the cup. saved its seed,
and by the process of selection finally
got good crimson. 1t takes five or
six generations to fix any new variety.
Speaking of poppies, was once
surprised to get new red garden
poppy as the result of cross be-
tween two white varieties, the COM