Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-02-02
atliseellaneons 8eading.
TALK WITH BURBANK.
The Wizard Tells About the Spineless
Cactus

Cactus.
While the plant creations of Luther
Burbank have made his name a house,
hold word throughout the word, very
few even of the residents of his adopt
ed state know anything Of the wig
ard S" personality. He has no time
for the limelight, even If he had this
taste, and, as he tells you, he can taik
mere readily to his flowers than to al
audience of people. On rare occasions,
however, when he emerges from his
picketed grounds for little journey in
the world, to attend a fiorists's conven-
ion or what not, he can be persuaded
to address p sympathetic company on
the subject to which his life is devot-
ed-the Improvement Of plants.
A spare man Of middle age and me-
dunn height with kindly, shaw
en- face Of the "hatchet" type. a shock
Of iron gray hair and students stoop
Of the shoulders, Burbank makes rath-
er an uneasy figure before an assem-
blage expecting him to be as enter
tanning as he can, and he is palpably
relieved when, his preliminary ladies
and gentlemen" spoken, he gives the
word to his assistant to throw some
plant pictures on the screen. Then
you can see that he is among his
friends and his speech is from the
abundance Of the heart.
you can do anything you like with
plant If you have time enough" he
observed as picture Of his thornless
cactus patch at Santa Rosa came to
view. Twelve years ago ! became i'm
pressed with the possibilities Of the
opuntia cactus, or prickly pear, as a
forage plant, If only the spines and the
bristles could be done away with.
There exists In nature certain Of the
cactus tribe which are thornless, but
none Of these are of sufficient size or
are rapid enough growers to be of
practical value to the stock raiser. I
had specimens of opuntias sent to me
from all over the world, and by selec-
ton and crossing, raising year after
year thousands Of new seedlings, only
to be grubbed up as unavailing, at
last was rewarded in creating vari-
ETY. absolutely without spines or bris-
ties. The original plant from a seed
has grown in three years to a height of
six feet and is six and one-half feet in
diameter. ] have half dozen other
spineless 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 called Burbank spine
less cactus for couple Of years. The
thornless varieties cannot be raised
from seed, but are propagated only
from cuttings, which must first be
wilted in the sun for a week or two
before they will grow. After that they
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 cuctus-the Santa Rosa
was sold for $1,000 to John NJ. Rut-
land Of Melbourne, Australia, with the
right to sell in the Southern Hemis-
phere; and one leaf Of another variety
was disposed of to the same Austria
liam horticulturist for $500.
But the forage proposition" contin-
ued 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 myself find 1t delicious.
There is great variety in the taste OF
the different sorts, and my ambition
now is to produce type that will bear
distinct varieties of cactus fruit, the
lame as different varieties Of apples are
characterized by different fiavors. d.
Changing the subject now to flow
ers, the famous eschscholtzia, or Cali
fornia poppy, used to be known only
as a yellow flower, but now the flor
lists will sell you a crimson variety.
This was six or seven years in the
making. l had often noticed fndivid-
uals with bronzy tint on the out
side of the petals; but one day came
across one that had streak Of red In
side the cup. I saved its seed, and by
the process Of selection finally got a
good crimson. 1t takes five or six gen.
.rations to fix any new variety.
Speaking of peoples. I was once
surprised to get a new red garden
poppy as the result Of cross between
two white varieties-the common white
opium poppy and another. Often am
unable to account for unlooked-for re-
suits Of my experiments, but in this
case the reason was to be found In the
tendency Of the opium poppy some
times to produce red flowers; and,
though the particular flower that
used in this cross was white, the
hereditary strain was In its blood and
cropped out in the offspring.
"A desideratum in the improvement
OF plants Is 10 SECURE He" NdiictiSS
that shall mature more quickly than
the original ones. Few people note the
fact that different individual plants
OF the same species often have differ
ent rates of growth. You think one
blade of blue grass in your lawn grows
Just as fast as another, while, as a
matter Of fact, some produce their seed
four or five times as quickly as others.
II is the same way with trees. I have
been working for a good while to pro-
duce a quick bearing chestnut. The
ordinary chestnut Of the woods
may take fifteen years from the
seeding stage to the nut bearing stage
but as a result Of my experimenting
/ have a specimen tree on my grounds
this year, six months old, that has
borne two perfect burrs and each has
it's regulation quota Of nuts. Now
can almost promise you chestnuts
while you wait!
Failures? Oh, yes. have failures.
Here is a picture of an improved prune
plum. 1t excels the old kinds In size
and sweetness, but 1t Is complete fall