LUTHER BURBANK

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10450, 3 December 1927, Page 10

LUTHER BURBANK

THE MAGICIAN OF CALIFORNIA, Miss .Team lie Macdonald contri--1 mtes to the National Review an account n't the remarkable work done by .the late Luther Lurbank, of California. in the breeding and crossing of plants. 'I lie sen of a New England fanner, his natural bent was tow ards the study of plants and flowers, and lie ultimately devoted his lite ro it .His first success was in developing potatoes, hut his outlook was immensely widened by reading Darwin’s. work on “'Hie Variations of Animals and Plants Under Domestication.” In 1875 he established himself in California, where his efforts were further influenced by Darwin’s book on “The .Effects of Cross and Self-Fertilisation in the A’egetable Kingdom,” which inspired him to systematise natural methods. Miss Macdonald quotes the following oxample of his work: Burbank’s aim was to conduct his experiments along two lines that hud never been thought of before. The first was the accomplishment in a few plant generations of what Nature required hundreds or even thousands of years, to accomplish. The second was to-.ex-perinretit, not in a circumscribed field of half a dozen plants or varieties of pi, ants, but on hundreds of thousands. This speeding 7 up process started with any order from a man who wanted 20.0C0 prune tress t<# plant. an. orchard,. to lie delivered in nine months. To fulfil' the order c for tire . 20,000 prune'trees his first": requisite was-to get a-sturdy but- . rapidly sprouting tree stock, his . choice’falling on the almond, as it takes hold -readily and grows quickly, unlike nearly all stone fruits.. He found 20,000 almonrl nuts of- Seven yqualityj and after getting them’ snrouted and planted out, they ■were high enough to be budded by the end of dluiie. Meanwhile Tie had arranged to lie supplied with 20.000 prilne' buds, and these, with the help of > largo force of-experts, were budded firitoi the, " -alniond seedlings, \Vheii- they bad made, wood,unions he broke off the tbps,- of the young trees and Teft;'them hanging; th*s eliminated the .almond "side, of the ‘■’nmily. ' without/' kiilihg the trees, hut forced most o F the nourishment into the buds ' . The pruiiebuds took hold, and in a few weeks, what"had started out ns an' almfthd’- iVas a pinny. Within the.time .'stipulated for delivery. 19.- ; 500 trees ; for the delight'edloustomerj who declared'fit was the work of a wizard; dlio result of this first; big!'exriefimefit was ra great, sstisfactioii'.to .Dorhank,. as. It. proved in's theorv 7 that Nature could be hurried,7 used- and directed Iw ’ man.' ;