The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-07
THE WIZARD OF
HORT|CUL TURE
Luther Burbank of Calif0r.
MIA is Seventy Years Old
Today
STILL PROVING NEW
THEORIES AT HIS FARM
All His Discoveries Given to the Pub
hc-The Burbank Potato His Great
est Commercial Success-Many I'm
provements in Fruits and Vegetables

provements in Fruits and Vegetables.
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, March e.
Seventy years old today is Luther Bur
bank, the wizard of the plant world, the
man whose experiments and discoveries
have revolutionized the worlds theories
of plant life, and the profession connec-
ted with it.
Mr.. Burbank was born in Lancaster,
Mass, March I, 1S49. At an early age
he earned reputation as a naturalist,
and for many years has continued his
studies and experiments. At the Bur-
bank experiment farms near Santa Rosa
new theories are constantly being
proved and their results given to the
world, for Burbank, while scientist
working for the satisfaction of indi-
who believes that the results of his Ia
| tors belong to all mankind.
| 1t is said of him that he began his
experiments when boy on the home
farm because of his observations sof
| the extreme difficulties under which
plants will sometimes grow and thrive;
and that from desire to make condi-
tions better for plants, some of his most
brilliant Inspirations have grown.
Everywhere people are familiar with
the most conspicuous of his successes
He has to his credit nearly dozen or
iginal fruit productions, not including
numerous improvements in pears, ap-
pies, grapes and other fruits. In veg
etable life he has perfected several new
species; in flowers nine of ten new yari-
cites; in nuts two distinct kinds; in
| berries seven varieties; and he several
years ago gave to the Western farmer
| the spiheless cactus. which makes the
| best food for cattle which the plains
man can find.
Commercially the Burbank potato ii
Mr.. Burbank s greatest success; 1t was
/ developed by him at his old home il
Massachusetts as long ago as 1878. ane
was one of his first triumphs. Now st
general is its use that people hardly
ever think to connect it with the scien
4 fist who has gone on from that to NOR,
intricate things, patiently working then
tout at his big farm in California.
! Some of Mr.. Burbank IS most strik
ing successes are with relation to chest
nuts and walnuts. He produced
: chestnut tree that will bear in eighteel
months from the time the parent tire
: is first planted by seed. The averag
: of the chestnut tree known to the pub
: lie is ten to fifteen years from the tim
] it is planted a seed until il comes int
: bearing.
In walnuts Mr.. Burbank produced
{ shell that could lie crushed in the hant
but found that birds destroyed it, an
was obliged to harden the covering t
! protect the meat. He took the tanni
out of the walnut. 1t is a celoring mat
: ter that gives a rather disagreeabl
s flavor. One of the trees has given ii
{ annual crop of 400 pounds for the pas
: 20 years.
s As an example of delicate plant wor
s Mr. Burbank's friends refer to his in
: provemcnt of the dahlia. He remove
: the disagreeable odor and produced ii
: flower with a fragrance like magnolia.
In Burbank Is discovery of the spin'
: less cactus the cattlemen of the descI
: states have a means of fattening stoc
! which is priceless The cactus is sui
: stitute for water. 1t has been fonn
) that the milk flow of the cows is il
8 creased IS per cent, when they are f
= on cactus, over the amount given whe
dry alfalfa hay is fed
:. Probably the first absolutely new sp