Luther Burbank - c1902

Luther Burbank - "The Wizard of Horticulture"

Luther Burbank (March 7, 1849–April 11, 1926)^[1] was an American botanist, horticulturist, and pioneer of agricultural science. He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-year career. Burbank's varied creations included fruits, flowers, grains, grasses, and vegetables. He developed a spineless cactus (useful for cattle-feed) and the plumcot. Image File history File links Burbank_Shaw_c1902. ... Image File history File links Burbank_Shaw_c1902. ... Image File history File links Burbank_wcSepia. ... Image File history File links Burbank_wcSepia. ... March 7 is the 66th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (67th in leap years). ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... April 11 is the 101st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (102nd in leap years). ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Pinguicula grandiflora Botany is the scientific study of plantlife. ... The Latin words hortus (garden plant) and cultura (culture) together form horticulture, classically defined as the culture or growing of garden plants. ... Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic, and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. ... In biology, Strain can be used two ways. ... In botanical nomenclature, variety is a rank below that of species: As such, it gets a ternary name (a name in three parts). ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta - liverworts Anthocerotophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta - rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta - zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta - trimerophytes Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta... Fruit stall in Barcelona, Spain. ... Clivia miniata A cluster of flowers (Clivia miniata) A Blue Summer Flower. ... The word grain has several meanings, most being descriptive of a small piece or particle. ... An area of grass-like plants Grass generally describes a monocotyledonous green plant in the family Poaceae, botanically regarded as true grasses. ... Vegetables in a Market Venn diagram representing the relationship between (botanical) fruits and vegetables. ... Genera See Taxonomy of the Cactaceae Cactus is the name that has been traditionally given to any member of the flowering plant family Cactaceae. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (often called cows in vernacular and contemporary usage, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... A plumcot consists of a plum and apricot planted together into one fruit. ...

Burbank's most successful strains and varieties include the Shasta daisy, the Fire poppy, the July Elberta peach, the Santa Rosa plum, the Flaming Gold nectarine, the Burbank plum, the Freestone peach, and the Russet Burbank potato. Burbank also bred the white blackberry and the nectarine. A natural sport (genetic variant) of the Burbank potato with russet (reddish-brown) skin later became known as the Russet-Burbank potato: this large, brown-skinned, white-fleshed potato has become the world's predominant processing potato. The Shasta Daisy (Chrysanthemum maximum) is not a daisy at all, but rather a species of Chrysanthemum. ... A freestone peach is a peach which has a free stone. ... Luther Burbank around 1922. ... This article is in need of improvement. ... Nectarine can mean: A kind of peach, see Peach A demoscene radio, see Nectarine (radio). ...

Life and work

Born in Lancaster, Massachusetts, Burbank grew up on a farm and received only an elementary education. The thirteenth of 15 children, he enjoyed the plants in his mother's large garden. His father died when he was 21 years old, and Burbank used his small inheritance to buy a 17-acre (69,000 m²) plot of land near Lunenburg. Meeting House, designed by noted architect Charles Bulfinch, built 1815-1817. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the remainder of this article may require cleanup. ... Seal of Lunenburg, MA Lunenburg is a town located in Worcester County, Massachusetts. ...

Burbank developed the Burbank potato, 1872 to 1874. Burbank sold the rights to the Burbank potato for $150 and used the money to travel to Santa Rosa, California, in 1875. Later, a natural sport of Burbank potato with russetted skin was selected and named Russet Burbank potato. Today, the 'Russet Burbank' potato is the most widely cultivated potato in the United States, prized for processing. McDonald's french fries are made exclusively from this cultivar. 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center Luther Burbank Gardens, part of California Historical Landmark No. ... This article is becoming very long. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Luther Burbank around 1922. ... McDonalds in Times Square, New York McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest fast food chain, selling primarily hamburgers, chicken, french fries and carbonated drinks and more recently salads, fruit and carrot sticks. ... French fried potatoes, commonly known as French fries or fries (North America) or chips (United Kingdom and Commonwealth) are usually pieces of potato that have been chopped into batons and deep fried. ...

In Santa Rosa, Burbank purchased a 4-acre plot of land, and established a greenhouse, nursery, and experimental fields that he used to conduct crossbreeding experiments on plants, inspired by Charles Darwin's The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. (This site is now open to the public as a city park, Luther Burbank Home and Gardens.) Later he purchased an 18-acre plot of land in the nearby town of Sebastopol for more experimental growing. (See link to Gold Ridge Farm historic site in Sebastopol [1].) A greenhouse in Saint Paul, Minnesota. ... Nursery can mean: A nursery is a place for the temporary care of children in the absence of their parents. ... Crossbreeding is the process of creating hybrids (also known as crossbreeds, or a description of the lineage of that which has undergone hybridization. ... For other people of the same surname, and places and things named after Charles Darwin, see Darwin. ... Luther Burbank Home and Gardens. ... Sebastopol is a town located in Sonoma County, California, an hour north of San Francisco. ...

Burbank's creations included:

Shasta daisy

Burbank tending young spineless cactus plants c 1890.

Fruits Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x840, 86 KB) Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Luther Burbank User:Lego3400 Shasta daisy User:SaturnYoshi User:DarknessLord/Userboxes User:SaturnYoshi... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x840, 86 KB) Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Luther Burbank User:Lego3400 Shasta daisy User:SaturnYoshi User:DarknessLord/Userboxes User:SaturnYoshi... Image File history File links Burbank_Cactus. ... Image File history File links Burbank_Cactus. ...

• 113 plums and prunes
• 35 fruiting cacti
• 16 blackberries
• 13 Raspberries
• 11 quinces
• 11 plumcots
• Ten cherries
• Ten strawberries
• Ten apples
• Eight peaches
• Six chestnuts
• Five nectarines
• Four grapes
• Four pears
• Three walnuts
• Two figs
• One almond

Russet-Burbank potatoes

Grains, grasses, forage Plum is also a nickname for British humorist P.G. Wodehouse. ... Prune has several meanings: Any of more than 125 varieties of fruit, most grown for drying. ... Genera See Taxonomy of the Cactaceae Cactus is the name that has been traditionally given to any member of the flowering plant family Cactaceae. ... The BlackBerry is a wireless handheld device introduced in 1999 which supports push e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, internet faxing, web browsing and other wireless information services. ... Binomial name Rubus idaeus L. The Raspberry or Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is a plant that produces a tart, sweet, red composite fruit in summer or early autumn. ... Binomial name Cydonia oblonga Mill. ... A plumcot consists of a plum and apricot planted together into one fruit. ... Species Several, including: Prunus apetala Prunus avium (Wild/Sweet Cherry) Prunus campanulata Prunus canescens Prunus cerasus (Sour Cherry) Prunus concinna Prunus conradinae Prunus dielsiana Prunus emarginata (Bitter Cherry) Prunus fruticosa Prunus incisa Prunus litigiosa Prunus mahaleb (Saint Lucie Cherry) Prunus maximowiczii Prunus nipponica Prunus pensylvanica (Pin Cherry) Prunus pilosiuscula Prunus... Species 20+ species; see text This article is about the strawberry plant. ... Binomial name Malus domestica Borkh. ... Binomial name Prunus persica (L.) Batsch Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Species Castanea alnifolia - Bush Chinkapin* Castanea crenata - Japanese Chestnut Castanea dentata - American Chestnut Castanea henryi - Henrys Chestnut Castanea mollissima - Chinese Chestnut Castanea ozarkensis - Ozark Chinkapin Castanea pumila - Allegheny Chinkapin Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut Castanea seguinii - Seguins Chestnut * treated as a synonym of by many authors Chestnut (Castanea), including... Nectarine can mean: A kind of peach, see Peach A demoscene radio, see Nectarine (radio). ... Species Vitis acerifolia Vitis aestivalis Vitis amurensis Vitis arizonica Vitis x bourquina Vitis californica Vitis x champinii Vitis cinerea Vitis x doaniana Vitis girdiana Vitis labrusca Vitis x labruscana Vitis lincecumii Vitis monticola Vitis mustangensis Vitis x novae-angliae Vitis palmata Vitis riparia Vitis rotundifolia Vitis rupestris Vitis shuttleworthii Vitis... Species About 30 species; see text Pears are trees of the genus Pyrus and the juicy fruit of that tree, edible in some species. ... Species See text The walnuts (genus Juglans) are plants in the walnut family Juglandaceae. ... Species About 800, including: Ficus altissima Ficus americana Ficus aurea Ficus benghalensis- Indian Banyan Ficus benjamina- Weeping Fig Ficus broadwayi Ficus carica- Common Fig Ficus citrifolia Ficus coronata Ficus drupacea Ficus elastica Ficus godeffroyi Ficus grenadensis Ficus hartii Ficus lyrata Ficus macbrideii Ficus macrophylla- Moreton Bay Fig Ficus microcarpa- Chinese... Binomial name Prunus dulcis (Mill. ... deletebecause|Moved to commons: under same name Potatoes From http://www. ... deletebecause|Moved to commons: under same name Potatoes From http://www. ...

• Nine types

Vegetables

• 26 types

Ornamentals

• 91 types

Burbank was criticized by scientists of his day because he did not keep the kind of careful records that are the norm in scientific research and because he was mainly interested in getting results rather than in basic research. Jules Janick, Ph.D., Professor of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, writing in the World Book Encyclopedia, 2004 edition, says: "Burbank cannot be considered a scientist in the academic sense." Purdue University (Purdue) is a land-grant, public university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States. ...

During his career, Burbank wrote, or co-wrote, several books on his methods and results, including his eight-volume How Plants Are Trained to Work for Man (1921), Harvest of the Years (with Wilbur Hall, 1927), Partner of Nature (1939), and the 12-volume Luther Burbank: His Methods and Discoveries and Their Practical Application. Burbank also published in 1893 a descriptive catalog of some of his best varieties, entitled called New Creations in Fruits and Flowers. 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

New Creations in Fruits and Flowers cover.

By all accounts, Burbank was a kindly man who wanted to help other people. He was very interested in education and gave quite a bit of money to the local schools. He married twice: To Helen Coleman in 1880, which ended in divorce in 1896, and to Elizabeth Waters in 1916. He had no children. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (506x700, 34 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Luther Burbank ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (506x700, 34 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Luther Burbank ...

Burbank also had a mystical, spiritual side. His friend and admirer Paramahansa Yogananda wrote in his Autobiography of a Yogi: Paramahansa Yogananda (Bengali: পরমহংস যোগানন্দ Pôromôhongsho Joganondo, Hindi: परमहंस योगानन्‍द; January 5, 1893–March 7, 1952), was an Indian yogi and guru. ...

"His heart was fathomlessly deep, long acquainted with humility, patience, sacrifice. His little home amid the roses was austerely simple; he knew the worthlessness of luxury, the joy of few possessions. The modesty with which he wore his scientific fame repeatedly reminded me of the trees that bend low with the burden of ripening fruits; it is the barren tree that lifts its head high in an empty boast." (Yogananda 1946 p 352)

In a speech given to the First Congregational Church of San Francisco in 1926 Burbank said: Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ...

"I love humanity, which has been a constant delight to me during all my seventy-seven years of life; and I love flowers, trees, animals, and all the works of Nature as they pass before us in time and space. What a joy life is when you have made a close working partnership with Nature, helping her to produce for the benefit of mankind new forms, colors, and perfumes in flowers which were never known before; fruits in form, size, and flavor never before seen on this globe; and grains of enormously increased productiveness, whose fat kernels are filled with more and better nourishment, a veritable storehouse of perfect food--new food for all the world's untold millions for all time to come."

In mid-March 1926, Burbank suffered a heart attack and became ill with gastrointestinal complications. He died on April 11, 1926, and is buried near the greenhouse at the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens. The gastrointestinal tract or digestive tract, also referred to as the GI tract or the alimentary canal, (nourishment canal) or the gut, is the system of organs within multicellular animals which takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining waste. ... April 11 is the 101st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (102nd in leap years). ... Luther Burbank Home and Gardens. ...

Legacy

Burbank's work spurred the passing of the 1930 Plant Patent Act four years after his death. The legislation made it possible to patent new varieties of plants (excluding tuber-propagated plants). In supporting the legislation, Thomas Edison testified before Congress in support of the legislation and said that "This [bill] will, I feel sure, give us many Burbanks." The authorities issued Plant Patents #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #18, #41, #65, #66, #235, #266, #267, #269, #290, #291, and #1041 to Burbank posthumously. 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... The work of the American botanist, horticulturalist, and pioneer of agricultural science, Luther Burbank, helped spur on the 1930 Plant Patent Act four years after his death. ... Oca tubers For the fungal genus, see Truffle. ... Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman who developed many devices which greatly influenced life in the 20th century. ... Congress in Joint Session. ...

In 1986, Burbank was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. The Luther Burbank Home and Gardens, in downtown Santa Rosa, are now designated as a National Historic Landmark. 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Inventors Hall of Fame is an organization that honors important inventors from the United States. ... Luther Burbank Home and Gardens. ... USS Constitution. ...

The town of Burbank, California, does not take its name from Burbank, but from the Los Angeles dentist David Burbank; however, the horticulturist gave his name to Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank. The Luther Burbank School District in San Jose and Santa Rosa's Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival also honor Luther Burbank. Santa Rosa used to have a performing arts center named after Burbank, but Wells Fargo bought naming rights for $3.2 million in 2006 and renamed it. The Lancaster Middle School in Lancaster, Massachusetts was renamed to Luther Burbank Middle School in 2003. A middle school in Los Angeles named Burbank Middle School was also named after Burbank. Additionally, there is a Luther Burbank Elementary School in Altadena, California, part of the Pasadena Unified School District. Founded May 1, 1887 Incorporated July 8, 1911 General Information County Los Angeles County, California Latitude Longitude 34°1049 N 118°1942 W Area  - Total  - Water 45 km² (17. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Area    - City 1,290. ... The Luther Burbank School District is located in San Jose, California, USA. Elementary schools Luther Burbank Elementary School serves 440 students in kindergarten through grade eight, as well as 70 preschoolers. ... Nickname: Capital of Silicon Valley Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center Luther Burbank Gardens, part of California Historical Landmark No. ... Meeting House, designed by noted architect Charles Bulfinch, built 1815-1817. ... Front entrance of the building The Luther Burbank Middle School is a middle school located in Lancaster, Massachusetts. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Altadena is an unincorporated census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California approx. ... The Pasadena Unified School District is responsible for the schools of Pasadena, California. ...

The University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center has digitized and published online the 12-volume monographic series Luther Burbank: His Methods and Discoveries, which documents Burbank's methods and discoveries and their practical application.

In 1931 the Boys Parental School located on Mercer Island, Washington changed its name to Luther Burbank School. The school continued to function until 1966. The land on which the school was built was bought by King County and converted into Luther Burbank Park. 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, USA. The population was 22,036 at the 2000 census. ... King County redirects here; you may be looking for King County, Texas. ...

The standard botanical author abbreviation for Burbank consists simply of "Burbank". In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/21.html

• Kraft, K. Luther Burbank, the Wizard and the Man. New York : Meredith Press, 1967 ASIN: B0006BQE6C
• Yogananda, Paramahansa. Autobiography of a Yogi. Los Angeles : Self-Realization Fellowship, 1946 ISBN 0-87612-083-4
• Peter Dreyer: A Gardener Touched With Genius The Life of Luther Burbank, # L. Burbank Home & Gardens; New & expanded ed edition (January 1993), ISBN 0963788302

External links

• Luther Burbank Home and Gardens official website
• National Inventors Hall of Fame profile
• Wells Fargo Center for the Arts (formerly the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts)
• UN report on spineless cactus cultivation in Tunisia
• Luther Burbank Virtual Museum
• [2]
• The Wisdom of Life
• A Rare Crossing: Frida Kahlo and Luther Burbank