Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-10-05
Luther Burbank Would Improve
Mankind.

HiOSt pidHt oICSoCI III tHS -~oiiu, HiS-
tory also will record his influence in
the developing Of better men, as well
as better plants, for he regards i'm
provement Of mankind as a greater
work than improvement Of plant
species.
81 hope that the same laws, as far
as practicable, which ! have discov-
cred and demonstrated in plant life,
will be applied to the improvement Of
human life" said the dean OF plant
scientists in his Santa Rosa home.
This in a measure can, must and
will be done," he asserted.
Although every possible minute OF
Burbank's day is given to his plant
experiments, he is glad to give time to
civic affairs especially to the Boy
Scouts, playground activities and
school doings, for in these he sees the
beginning Of the application to man.
kind of his principles Of plant breed
ing.
"My time is all too short to do all
wish and hope yet to do" he says.
The improvement of plants, accord
ing to Burbank, is in its earliest in
fancy, but "the possibilities are limit
less" he declares.
"ln mechanics and electricity great
progress already has been made, but,
as every scientists knows, it is hard
ly beginning" says Burbank, in COM
pairing mechanical and plant know
ledge.
After sixty years Of plant breeding
he enunciates the principle, "plants
are pliable and amenable to the will
of man, but this has never been sur
missed by the general public until the
last Is years"
Agriculturists a few years ago re-
ported to Mr.. Burbank that the tall
stalks on which sunflowers grew made
it unhandy to harvest the seeds. Bur-
bank set to work on the problem, and
this year is marketing seeds of a new
sunflower, which grows on a three-foot
stalk. The bloom has been so great
ly enlarged that it is heavier pro-
Queer of seeds than other varieties,
and the seeds are white.
Next year he will give the world
six new peaches, a new prune which
does not need to be dipped before
drying, new plum and new nee
tarine. He has also been working
several years on potatoes in the hope
of producing a new variety which will
rival his famous Burbank" grown
and used in greater quantity than any
other, and after countless experiments
has narrowed his experimental varie-
ties down to 60, from which he will
eventually bring out one or more va
rieties for the world.
The Santa Rosa plant scientist, hav-
ing produced many fruits, berries, veg
etables, grasses and grains of great
benefit to mankind, is today giving a
bit more of his attention to the deyel-
opment of beautiful plants and bios
SONS, although in no measure giving
up his work and interest in food.
clothing and timber producing plants.
But it is in the development of strik-
ing colors in plants and flowers, of
pleasing flower fragrances and new
tlavors in fruits that his experiments
show breadth of Imagination. Hun.
dreds of visitors stop in amazement
each day at the low fences surround.
ing his experimental plots in his CITY
and gaze enraptured at the shades of
some glorified popular hower-some
new zinnia, poppy, gladiolus or lark
spur.
Burbank has hundred thousand
new color shades and varieties of the
gladiolus, in every conceivable color
and combination of color and of I'm.
equaled size and freedom of bloom.
His new amaranthus "Molten Fire"
IS his newest pride. 1t is a plant
from three to four feet in height and
three feet across, and whose leaves de-
velop an iridescent, fiery, crimson, SAL
mon color, a hue never before seer
on land and sea, in any plant or any,
thIng else except the intense heat Of
'ne electric furnace. 1t retains its
orilliance of color for three months
wo years ago there was only one of
theSe plants in the world
constantly increasing publicity for
burbanks work has resulted in his