The San Francisco call., 1910-01-20
BURBANK MAKES
BOOK ON WORK
of Discoveries and
Creations Is in Hands
of the Printers

Q ANITA ROSA. Jan. 1s.-working
quietly at his home with that same
zeal and persistence that has en-
abled him TO produce wonders in the
vegetable kingdom. Luther Burbank
has been gradually reducing the his
tory OF his discoveries and creations
10 the written page. He has been five
years at the task There is much yet
to do. When the last chapter is writ
ten, Burbank will have achieved new
fame as the biographer OF fruits and
flowers.
monumental. is but an incident in the
great contribution to the human well
fare that finds its source in the bios
som covered home of the horticulturist
The Burbank gardens, once the work
shop of silent and obscure toiler. have
become an Institution of international
interest-another landmark on the path
OF American creative genius.
1t is with the deepest regret that the
people of Santa Rosa have learned of
the withdrawal of the Carnegie grant.
They feel that grave misapprehen-
sion has persuaded the trustees of the
institute to this unexpected move. A
striking feature of Burbank's work has
been his complete sacrifice Of its COM
mercial possibilities , With a mind
STEPPED in the scientific splendor of his
operations, he has disposed Of his
fruitage and floral inventions without
retaining pecuniary interest in their
future exploitation. And yet it is an
nounced that this policy has cost him
the yearly allotment. His close friends
say that an injustice has been done
him.
Before he received the $4,000 annual
award Burbank was compelled to give
largely of his time TO the routine of
gardening In recent years he has
been enabled to employ help. The Sc
bastopol experimental farm and the
home place have been cultivated under
his direct supervision.
Although the demands upon his time
from callers from all over the world and
letters of inquiry from every land have
has found opportunity to prepare a
comprehensive book for the Carnegie
institute. He has dictated TO a corps
of stenographers and has twice gone
over the typewriter sheets. The book
is now in the hands of the printer.
Beginning with the letter A and con-
tinuing through to z, Burbank has set
down in detail his experiments. discov-
cries and views bearing on each OF
5000 plants, vines, shrubs and trees
This will form the basis of the treatise
In addition to this, Burbank has made
headway on popular volume TO be
published under the name of The Bur-
bank Creations"
Letters deploring the action OF the
Carnegie institute reached Burbank in
great number today. There were also
kilograms from well known citizens in
all parts of the United States The
following from Southern Californian,
whose name is withheld. is type of
the letters that have come 10 the home
of the horticulturist:
My Dear Mr. Burbank: While in
Santa Rosa lately 1 had the extreme
happiness to meet you in your own
home and to exchange with you few
words. an honor 1 shall forever cher
ish; and today I had the modification
to read an account of the withdrawal
from its heretofore excellentIy well de-
signed purpose of the Carnegie fund,
so called, alleged to have been plaeed
at your disposal for scientific research
and other purposes.
If this account is true it is the
most shameful and truly reprehensible
piece of business ever transacted by
civilized man.
That one of your world wide fame
and justly acknowledged greatness,
after all you have done for this and
the countless ages of posterity. can not
do with the products of your genius
and labor what it seems best from your
standpoint TO have done. without the
dictation of organized bodies, is to me
the most dastardiy outrage ever com
mitted upon greatness
Il have travelled much, in many
lands, and have read little, and 1 look
upon you and your work as the crown
ing glory of all the ages.
Il wish you the continued success
and great happiness your extreme mod
esty and universally admitted great
ness so happily, it seems. ought to as
sure YOU