The Washington times., 1926-04-12


experiments under way On his
farms, which were being made lia-
der his personal supervision before
his illness. and he had planted
5000 distinct botanical specimens
from all over the world.
Ardent Evolution Advocate
Burbank last attracted notice In
field somewhat removed from his
life as a plant wizard.
At the height of the Tennessee
evolution controversy last June, he
arrayed himself on the side OF evo-
Iutionists, and incidentally he de-
clare6 that the skull of his friend
William j. Bryan was near the
Neanderthal (cave mani type.
Concerning the Tennessee anti.
evolution law he said:
"As soon legislate against The law
of gravity
Last January Burbank took issue
with the views of reincafnation ex.
pressed by Henry Ford.
II have found no proof Of this :-e-
incarnation theory as it is common
iy accepted he said at that time.
and nothing can induce me TO &C
cept the theory,
Religion Was Humanity
OF his religion Burbenix said he
might be ciaJsed as an agnOstic-
believing in the limits OF human IN
telligence. but certainly he did be-
lieve in a Supreme Being.
MY religion he said, sin re.
atty is humanity
In February Burbank startled his
friends by an assertion that he
could cure ills by a touch.
II can cure the i'll by the laying
on of hands, but / am not i'll the
business of healing. and | cannot
have my door thronged with people
seeking cures. l am far too b.lsy
to take on any more work than !
now have on hand"
He had used the touch method
200 or 500 times he said and II
could tell of results that would
almost make your hair stand on
end
While the latter months of Bur
banks life were devoted to his
plants. and he was always expert
menting. there was no outstanding
discovery to- equal his earlier ex.
ploits which brought him fame.
He4 was born in Lancaster, Mass,
March Z. 1919: the son of Samuel
Walton and Olive Rossl Burbank.
He spent his boyhood on his faith
er's farm and received his educa-
ton in the Lancaster Academy.
From his early boyhood Luther
Burbank was interested in the pne.
nomena OF plant life.
Burbank" Potato
1t was not long before his patient
labor and careful study produced
valuable results. One of his earliest
successes was the Burbank" 20
tato. which made his name widely
known throughout the scientific
world Luther Burbank was
true scientist, who worked for the
satisfaction of individual achieve
ment and not. primarily, for the
wealth to be gained therefrom.
In 1875 Luther Burbank decided
10 undertake his experimental work
under more favorable climatic con
ditions and upon a larger scale,
and he established the Burbank EA-
perimental Farms near Santa Rosa,
Cal. There he continued his WORK
of evolving new varieties of fruits
and flowers.
His Achievements.
1t is safe to say that at the pres
ent time there is scarcely a farm,
an orchard or "a garden in any
part of the United States where
not at least some of Luther Bur
banks creations in flowers, fruits
or vegetables are cultivated. Tue
Shasta daisy, the Wonderberry, the
Plumcot. soon became well known
faVorites. Some of the less general
ly known of Burbank's successes
were the Burbank rose. which bios.
SONS every day in the wear: the
Fragrance Gala, which is the first