The Detroit times., 1909-07-03
EXPLAINS GROWTH
'|0F NEW CREATIONS
Luther Burbank Says Nation Is Not
Enjoying Hundredth Part OF
Agricultural Possibilities.
ax a D. Wheeler.

pcrimcntal farm. the plant wizard
wonder garden. the pussy cat Iollo"
ed US. He was just wee pussy cat
not very much different from othei
kittens OF his age and education. bu'
when we reached the entrance TO the
farm with the Visitors Keep out N
big black letters over II, Burbanh
stopped and turned.
The busiest man IN the L. ). held
The gate open and waited while the
pussy cat romped through the forbid
den entrance. Then. as the kitten
scampered away IN pursuit OF an C'4-
sive bug. Burbank. the man VINO Is
"busier than the President turned
to me with a laugh OF the keen~st en-
joyment.
Ii was Burbank. the man. the lover
of growing things be they flowers
grasses. fruits-or pussy cats.
A moment later he was Burbank
the wizard
II told you over there" he said as
we strolled between beds OF monster
scarlet poppies--he was referring TO
our previous talk in the cool study nt
his home-"that II the farmer IS ID
get ahead through the cultivation OF
new varieties better adapted 10 the
changing conditions OF his soil. ne
must look 10 the horticulturalist. the
plant breeder, who has the time Tor
experimentation and discovery.
Will See New Varieties.
I'm the very near future. this coun-
try is 10 see new varieties IN fruits.
vegetables. grasses and grains that
will perhaps double the capacity OF
the land. This nation is not vet en-
joying a hundredth part OF its asr.cul-
tural possibilities When the popula-
ton of this nation is doubled, or trip
led or Quadrupled. the people will
then be just as comfortable as they
are now, and will be laboring under
no more strain than at the present 10
secure their livelihood from nature.
Now | will try TO show you why"
We were in a bed OF young spine
less cacti, the wonderful Burbank
"Opuntias," which are destined 10 he
come the most important food product
for man and beast in the great deser.
wastes.
Here is Just one example" said
the wizard Now, how did the discov-
cry of this new variety come about
we HluSl llASt NA.hN
every plant, animal and planet occu-
pies its place in the order OF nature
by the action of two forces. the in
herent. constitutional life force with
all its acquired habits. the sum OF
which is heredity; and the numerous.
complicated external forces. or en-
vironment. To guide the inte-acton
of these two forces. both of which are
only different expressions OF one e:er-
nal force. must be the sole object Of
the breeder, whether OF plants or OF
animals"
The pussy cat abandoned her chase
Of the bug and regarded the wizard
with big, round. wondering eyes.
I'VE know. for instance" continued
Burbank. that the race horse, the
draft horse, the Shetland pony. in
fact all breeds, or varieties. have come
from a common stock. II is the same
with the other animals. We have the
Jersey COW for cream, the Holstein
for milk, and others for other special
purposes.
1T is the same with plants as with
animals.
The spincless Cactus.
when the farmer CT fruit raiser
wants a plant that will withstand
frost, or resist diseases, insect pests
or poor culture, he looks TO the plant
breeder.
Food was wanted for man and
forage for beast in the desert. and the
improved rapid growing varieties OF
spineless cactus were produced"
This discovery" interrupted,
was 1t by accident. or by putting two
and two together"
Burbank smiled.
1T was more like putting eight mil
lion and sixty-nine thousand together
and dividing by four hundred sixty
seven.
"lnventng new agricultural ma
chimes, plants. is not very different
from inventing new electrical ma
chimes. The inventor searches the
world over for just one new thing.
combines II with one other new thing.
takes the product and keeps on COM
bining, altering combinations with nu-
merous other things, selecting, de-
stroying, crossing and recrossing until
he has secured what he has been
striving for. That is the discovery
I'VE wanted a cactus without the
the world over for new varieties Of
cactus. Some were found with many
spines, some with few. We selected.
crossed and recrossed. Through Sc.
lection and hybridization. which is the
term applied 10 the crossing OF va
rieties, many thousand new varieties
were produced. In the new varieties
bad traits cropped out. as well as
kn k1,I Iii. A.
good cultivated. Finally we discoy.
cred the combination that gave us
what we wanted. We had the spine
less cactus In all its present perfec.
ton.
Working On Other Varieties.
My spineless cactus in its present
varieties win now grow only In eli
mates suited TO figs and oranges. But
WE want a spineless cactus that will
thrive in the colder climates. | am
now working on varieties that can be
grown successfully as far north as
Canada. but IL will take much time
and long experiment 10 perfect these.
Il have used the cactus only "a an
example. AS | discovered the new
cactus. so I discovered the new fruits.
vegetables. berries. grasses, grains.
flowers that have already SO greatly
Increased the productive capacity OF
the soil
To-day the work OF the horticultur.
LIST Is only in its beginning. have
plant collectors In South America,
Japan. Egypt British America Mex.
leo. New Zealand and other foreign
countries, and am testing two or moro
million plants each year TO discover
what may and what may not be use