Luther Burbank

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Luther Burbank Produced: 1922

Description The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: “Luther Burbank breeds plants for better food and more beautiful flowers. His modest home at Santa Rosa in California, is surrounded by 3,000 different plants.” View of home. “He wants us to know of his experiments which have given the world 300 new and useful plants.” Burbank and another man sitting on porch. “More than 100,000 experiments, extending over fifty years, have been conducted in these gardens.” View of garden, trees. “In the seed and storage house, a full record is kept of each plant’s growth.” View of house, small field. “The soil, moisture and temperature for plant growth are controlled in this greenhouse.” Greenhouse attached to back of house, garden. “Plants from all parts of the world are patiently watched.” Burbank and another man in garden. “The potato was Mr. Burbank’s first study when a boy, and as a result the Burbank potato is raised in all parts of the world. It is clean, smooth skinned and solid.” Hand holding potato. “This potato produces more to each acre.” Negro workers in potato field. “The new wheat growing in this field is hardy, has a full head and its seed is worth $4,000 per bushel.” Field of wheat at side of house - Burbank in wheat field. “It has taken ten years or more to improve this wheat.” Close-up of wheat in field. “Compare the new oats with the common farm oats.” Burbank holding the two stalks of oats. “The new oats were brought from Peru and have 100 grains in each head, while the common oats have 50 grains.” Close-up of stalk of oats. “Mr. Burbank, threshing the oats finds that the grain is large, yellow and without hulls.” Burbank and another man threshing oats - hand running through oats. “The rhubarb or pie plant leaf shows the long stem produced by crossing the plants.” Burbank holding large rhubarb stalk. “The walnuts from this tree have shells thin as paper.” Close-up of large tree at side of house - view of walnut, ‘Observe the results of plant breeding,’ ‘The thin shell,’ ‘The large kernel.’ “Think of rose bushes like trees! This is the Cherokee rose tree.” Burbank looking at rose tree climbing side of house. “‘To produce these results it has taken me years of patient waiting.’” “If the fibers of the cotton plant can be lengthened the cloth will be stronger. The cotton blossom.” View of blooming plant. “This is the improved cotton with the long fibers.” Burst boll of cotton. “The artichoke which is a flower bud has been increased in size.” Burbank examining artichoke plant. “This large variety is as sweet and tender as the finest asparagus.” “Sunflower seed yields oil. See how Burbank has increased the size of the sunflower.” Large sunflower. “Burbank studied the wild prickly cactus.” Cactus plant. “Large areas of arid lands are covered with the cactus plant.” Views of cactus plants in bloom. “Burbank has removed the spines from the cactus and made it a rich and tender forage crop.” Burbank walking among cactus plants. “Observe that the spines are gone.” Views of spineless cactus. “The fruit is the ‘cactus pear’ which grows on the edge of the ‘leaf.’” Burbank with cactus pear, rubbing his cheek over cactus plant. “Each pear is about three inches in diameter - colored orange, white or yellow -- many flavors -- thirty to forty on each plant.” Close-up of pears on plants. “This fruit is good to eat, excellent for jellies and preserves.” Burbank and another man eating fruit. “Within six months after planting one acre of cactus will produce 75 tons of forage, which has about one-half the food value of alfalfa.” Burbank and another man near large cactus plants. “Burbank does these marvels by selecting and crossing plants. To cross the lily with another plant, the stamens are first removed.” Stamens being removed from plant. “Then pollen is taken from the blossom of another plant.” Removing pollen. “The pollen is now placed on the pistil of the lily.” Pollen placed on pistil of lily using small splinter of wood. “The lily is covered with a paper bag. If the crossing is successful, the seeds of a new plant are produced.” Sack being placed over lily - sack being removed exposing new seed. “These seeds if planted produce an improved flower.” Close-up of new seeds. “Thus plants may be improved when nature’s ways are known.” Flower bed. “‘So long as the world has people, so long as there is soil to till and flowers to bloom -- so long will Burbank’s work live.’” Burbank posing for camera, tipping hat. “The End.” “Ford Educational Library.” [1922]

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/92796

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