The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-05-08
.sOasANks LATgsT paODucTss
Something New In Potatoes His New.
est Achievement.

est Achievement.
Recent experiments Of the 'wiz-
ard are rsplete with interest, says a
recent article in the Pathfinder, for
they have attained truly remarkable
results. Hshas returned. in one case,
to the love Of his youth-the Irish po-
tato. Just as Bryant in later years in
THE Ages returned to the same
theme that made him famous in his
boyhood's poem, "Thanatopsls," and
as Byron returned in Don Juan" to
the same sort Of satire that gave him
prominence \ in his early English
Bards," so Burbank has sought to de-
velop again something fine from the
Irish potato. His method has not
been to take the ordinary potato and
develop from that. AS II fearing some
faint might be there not easily eradi-
Gated, he sent to South America and
got specimens in their original wild
form from high up in the Chilian
Andes where the aboriginal grows on
the Drinks Of abysmal craters of ex-
tinct volcanoes. These he crossed
with his own highly cultivated types.
In the result could be seen the strug-
gle OF the savage with the civilized
nature, but by process OF selection
and continued crossing he has OBJ
tained new variety which is prac-
ucally as sweet as almost any sweet
potato that grows. Who would have
dreamed Of such thing a few gene
rations ago?
1t may be that II the chief forester's
Attempts to preserve our wooded lands
and have teDlanted those once covered
with forests fail. then men will rise
up to call Luther Burbank blessed in
some future age when the lands have
been denuded of their growth and
consequent drying up Of rivers follows
at one season and untamed floods rave
through the land at Others, carrying
houses. crops and land itself with
them. Then will the people cry aloud
for trees trees that will take root
speedily and hold the soil together,
yet increase its porosity so that fall
ing rainswill soak in and be held in
stead of rushing down the n-baked
surface. Many of the varieties of fast
growing trees that Burbank has pro-
duced, not the least of which is the
Paradox walnut, a hybrid resultant of
a cross Of the Persian and California
walnut trees, and the Royal black wal
nut, hybrid from the California and
American walnuts. Both are swift of
growth and in a few years tower
higher than the ordinary walnut trees,
but they have a fine hard grain that
takes a high polish.
Canadian bananas ought to be good.
Canadian bananas!" some one ex-
claims who knows that the Florida
variety willis under the slightest frost.
Yet Canadian bananas seem a posi-
bility. One of Burbanks original
ideas Is that of training tropical
plants SO they will become hardy
enough 10 thrive in, cold climates and
he says he will succeed, that his plan
taias which he is experimenting with
are slowly evolving 10 the desired
hardihoOd. 1t may be that the time
will conc when Canadians and Alas
kans will pluck the orange, the lemon
and the lime from their own groves at
home, grow peach trees whose bios
som will be invulnerable to the at
tacks Of frost. and make beds in the
early spring for flowers that now
flourish only in the torrid zone.
Men In the West who have benefited
from the results of Mr. Burbank's
work bless him for what he has done
In transforming the Opuntia, COM
monty known as the prckly pear or
cactus This plant thrives In soil that
would Kill almost any other growth;
Ii is succulent and nourIShing; hence,
II cattle could only eat It, 1t would be
a great boon in regions where there Is
little water and poor grazing. But in
its wild state. the cactus is too prickly
and when the cattle do eat it. death
frequently results, although ranchmen
! SINCE the plants to rid them Of their
spines. Burbank has bred a spineless
variety which is more juicy and many
times more nourishing than the wild
cactus. Instead of mere 20 tons to
the acre-the farm crop OF the wild
plaintiffs specimens yield 200 tons on
good soil. Thep prove 10 be excellent
fodder and are palatable to man. He
is still at work upon this plant and
has aIlbut produced seedless variety
which contains about II per cent Of
sugar and 219. per cent Of fat. 1t has
a peculiar taste and muclaginous con-
sistenCy and makes an excellent des-
sert dish. The juice OF the leaf and
fruit have been found to act as a
good prescrvatiye against bad wealth
er when used in whitewash.
These are but samples OF the work
this man is doing. He is pushing ever.
on and on. corssing and recrossing
varieties, producing the very things
that his active imagination sees long
before the actual plant arrives. II is
q far cry from a MASSACHUSETTS farm,