Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-04-13

the age" by Representative Lea
democrat, of Santa Rosa, the hom
town of the naturalist
His work resulted in greate
achievements for the garden, fielt
and orchard than realized by any
other man, Lea said.
Acknowledged the dean of plant
breeders and leader in modern creative
plant development, the name of Luther
Burbank became a household word
throughout the civilized world. Vir-
tually his whole life was devoted to
scientific plant breeding and many OF
his more than 100000 experiments
with various forms of vegetation at
tanned such marvellous results that
they won him the title of plant wiz
ard"
EARLY in life Burbank eyinced a
great love for growing things, select
ing plants rather than animals as his
pets. His first notable success was
achieved at the age of %, when he
happened to find seed ball OF the
Early Rose potato, which rarely bears
seed. From this he developed the
world-famous Burbank potato that has
spread to every portion of the globe
and which is said to exert greater
Influence upon the food supply of hu-
manity than any other single food
plant.
Soon after breeding this potato
which brought him neither fame noI
money at the time, Burbank moved to
California, where he obtained employ
ment as a farm hand He continued
as a laboPer until able to acquire a
small farm in the town of Santa Rosa
some SO miles north of San Francisco
with this small beginning he under
took the. series, of experiments which
long had been uppermost in his mind
Thereafter his work was continuous
and tireless, occupying nearly IA hours
q day on the average.
Burbank was born at Lancaster
Mass, March 7, 1849, son of Samuel w
and Olive (Ross), Of English ano
Scotch ancestry. He was the 18th OF
is children born on his fathers ZOO
acre farm. He attended the Lancaster
academy, from which he was an honor
graduate.
Next to the potato, the accomplish
ment which brought first fame te
Burbank was the spineless- cactus
whereby he turned a worthless desert
growth into a valuable forage an(
fruiting plant. In recognition of this
work he received a 1912 United States
grant, congress under special act turn
of
land to be located either in California
Nevada or Arizona.
1t has been estimated that Bur
banks 100000 or more nollenation
observation and propagation or de-
struction of a billion individual vege
table growths From this vast num-
Der, however, only 3S5 were selected
and recommended by him as of value
to humanity. Some of these were u1l-
der his observation for 25 years before
being given to the world.
i Several fine varieties of spineles:
blackberry, now grown around tht
world, were bred from wild variety
that was considered useless in it's ma
tive state A certain variety of rhu-
barb, under Burbanks magic touch
increased it's stalks from the size Of
a lead pencil to that of a mans wrist
and was made perpetual, instead ol
bearing for few weeks only. Can
ners appealed to him for a perfect pea
one which would mature all of it's crop
retain uniformity or size and all ripper
at the same time. After three years
/ of work he met the demand.
Flowers, fruits, grains, grasses, veg
etables, even orcI:ard and forest trees
were improved and given to the world
in new usefulness through months and
years of patient and frequently dis
couraging experiments.
Wonderful as many of Burbank's S
achievements with vegetable, plant ano
flower life seem to the laymen, the
methods by which they were accom-
plished were not in themselves re-
markable Patience was the chief re-
quisite to his success. Deciding first
what he wished to create. re-make OF
improve upon in the vegetable world