The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-09-22
MANKIND
HOPE OF BURBANK
PLANT WIZARD WOULD M
PROVE HUMAN LIFE
USE THE PLANT LAWS
Great Scientist Active In Boy
Scout and Playground
Affairs
TAssociated presg Dtspaton. :

ASSOCIATED Press Dtsp2tch.1
Santa Rosa, Cal, September Is
Ii fuldllment comes to the hopes and
ideals of Luther Burbank, foremost
plant breeder Of the world. history
also will record his influence in the
developing of better men, as well as
better plants, for he regards improve
ment of mankind as a greater work
than improvement of plant species
| Il hope that the same laws, as far
as practicable, which / have dis
covered and demonstrated in plant
life will be applied to the improve
ment Of human life" said the dean
OF plant scientists in his Santa Rosa
nome. 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
SO civic affairs, specially to the Boy
Scouts, playground activities and
school doings, for in these he sees
the beginning of the application to
mankind of his principles of. plant
breeding. my time is all to short to
do all | wish and hope yet to do
he says. - So. -
Plant Improvement In infancy
The improvement of plants, &C.
cording to Burbank, is in its earliest
infancy, but "the possibilities are
| liIitless,' he declares.
I'm mechanics and electricity great
progress already has been made, but.
as every scientist knows, it is hardly
beginning, says Burbank, in com
pairing mechanical and plant know
ledge. =
After Sky years of plant breeding
he enunciates the principle Plants
are pliable and amenable to the will
nf IN N Sp hAc 4
missed by the general public until
| the last twenty five years"
Agriculturists a few years ago re-
ported to Burbank that the tall
stalks on which sunfiowers grew
made 1t unhandy to harvest the
seeds. Burbank set to work on the
problem, and this year is marketing
seeds of sunflower, which grows
on a three foot stalk. The bloom
has been SO greatly enlarged that it
is heavier producer of seeds than
white. -
Six New Peaches
Next year he will give the world
SIX new peaches, new prune which
does not need to be dipped before
drying, new plum and a new nee
| tarlne. He has also been working
several years on potatoes in the
nope or producing new variety
which will rival his famous Bur
bank, grown and used In greater
quantity than any other, and after
countless experiments has narrowed
his experimental varieties down TO
sixty, from which he vii eventually
Drlng out one or more varieties for
the world
The Santa Rosa plant scientist.
having produced mny fruits, berries.
vegetables, grasses and grains OF
great dement, to mankind, is today
giving a bit more of his attention
imam ever before to the development
aitnough IN no measure giving up
MS experimental varieties down to
ing and timber producing plants,
But 1t is In the development of
striking colors in plants and flowers.
OF pleasing flower fragrances and
new navors in fruits that his ex-
periments today show breadth Of
imagination. Hundreds of visitors
stop In amazement each day at the
mental plots in this city and gaze
enraptured at the shades of some
gior1hed popular iower-some new
zlnnla, poppy gladiolus or larkspur.
His New Amaranthus
Burbank has hundred Thousand
new color shades and varieties of
the glad1olus, in every conceiyable
color and combination of color and
OF unequalled size and freedom of
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
develop an irredescent, fiery, Grim
son. salmon color, a l,lfe never be-
fore seen on land or sea, in anv
plant or anything else except the in,
tense heat of the electric furnace
1t retains its brilliance of color for
three months. Two years ago there
was only one of these plants in the
world. $50,
Constantly increasing publicity
for Burbank's work has resulted in
mis- experimental grounds here be-
coming the Mecca for thousands of
sclent1sts and world notables in ey-
cry profession. He receives as MANY
possible. but the unnumbered thous.
andS who come cannot, of course he
ADMITTED to the grounds, or his
work soon would have to be discon.
unued. He has now an average Of
100 callers day. of whom he can see
out few. On a recent Sunday after
noon automobiles were parked three
ueep IN the street for the length
of a block beside his gardens.
II would willingly. entertain ALI
who wish to visit my grounds. vet
the very nature of my work renuires
absolute freedom from interruption".
he says
All OF Burbank's business is car
ried on by mail only, necessarv
measure because of the demands