BURBANK’S AMBITION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1751, 27 September 1905, Page 21

BURBANK’S AMBITION.

SCIENTIFIC REARING OF CHILDREN. Mr Luther Burbank, the famous Californian horticulturist, declares that thi* great object and aim of his life is to apply to the training of children those scientific ideas which he has so successfully employed in working miraculous transformations in plant life. This phase of 'the great character, Hitherto kept secret froxnßhe world at larger was revealed in a recent interview with, the Rev Dr James W. Lee, pastor of St. John's Southern Methodist Church, St Louis, who returned to that city on July. 29th from a trip to Santa Rosa, California, where he went for an interview with Mr Burbank. Dr Lee sayfc that Burbank has 2500 visitors a year, but he does not see more than one-fifth of them. 'My time is worth about 2.50d01. (about 10s) an hour," Mr Burbank said! to Dr Lee. The clergyman told Mr Burbank that he had referred to the latter's work in an address at Portland, and had! expressed the wish that he might introduce into the method of rearing children.' some of the scientific ideas that Mr Burhank was applying every day to the improvement of plan’t§. Dr Lee says that Mr Burbank's eyes immediately flashed, and he replied—" That is the great object and aim of my life." Dr Lee was astounded at the unexpected reply of Mr Burbank, as he had presumed that the latter was completely wrapped up in his studies of plants. Continuing, however, Mr Burbank declared! that plants, weeds and trees were responsive to a few influences in their environments, but that children were infinitely more responsive, and the failurel to recognise the fact of the spiritual elements in the environing conditions of ohildren had been the fatal lack in dealing with them. Dr Lee asked Mr Burbank if he was familiar with the works of Thomas j. Barnardo, of London, who educated sonie 60,000 waif children, in. the ninety three homes which he founded in various parts of England, with, the result that only 2 per cent, of them turned out bad. Mr Burbank replied that he had studied Barnardo’fl methods of rearing children, and that the latter did in the realm of human 1 life what he (Burba-nk) was doing in the realm of plant life. "Barnardo," he continued, "has demonstrated that infinitely more can be done with children than with weeds and’ plants. Whenever human beings realise these realities in the realms of human life, and begin to apply scientific principles to the training of children, then humanity will enter upon a new stage of existence." Mr Burbank said that, in his opinion, every person should be physically, morally, and spiritually perfect, and could be if the same attention were paid to his or her training that he was giving to weeds. He declared that, just as ho had wrought miracles with plants by bringing them into contact with, those elements of their environment to which, they rapidly responded, should those what have the care of children seek to do for them and to train them by bringing tffisir natures into relation with all the elements in their environment to which they are potentially responsive. Dr Lee's interview with Mr Burbank lasted only fifteen The Californian presented him with the original manuscript of a speech which he had recently made at the commencement of exercises of the public school at San Rafael. California. He said that this was the only, address he had ever given for children. Dr Lee pronounces it a masterly effort, and prizes the document as one of hid most valuable possessions.