From collection Creating Acadia National Park: The George B. Dorr Research Archive of Ronald H. Epp
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Burbank, Luther (1849-1926)
Burbank Lu other (1849- 1926
Quarterly J. of the Library of Congress 36,#4 (1979).
423
photographs, identified press clippings, and
to the great revolution in American agriculture)
subject files concerning his books and Hol-
was still in the future.
lywood activities, as well as a small group of the
However, it was at Lunenburg that Burbank
papers of the last Mrs. Cain, the singer Florence
grasped the implications of a chance discovery
Macbeth.
and began his route to fame. His experiments to
develop a large, fine-grained, white potato were
Scientific History
a failure until he discovered an extremely rare
seed pod on one of his hybrid Early Rose plants.
Luther Burbank Papers
By applying the process of selection to the
seedlings which he grew, he eventually devel-
The most noteworthy 1978 acquisition in the
oped the Burbank potato. This, the first of his
history of science and allied fields was the pa-
triumphs, led to descendants which account for
pers of plant breeder and horticulturist Luther
the majority of potatoes now grown in the
Burbank (1849-1926), a gift of the estate of
United States: among these is the Idaho Russet
Mrs. Luther Burbank.
or "Idaho."
Known to several generations as "the plant
In 1875 Burbank sold his assets and moved to
wizard" and classed in the popular mind with
California. In the town of Santa Rosa, he began
such "heroes of progress" as Thomas Alva Edi-
a career as nurseryman, and within seven or
son and Alexander Graham Bell, Burbank was a
eight years his profits had made him financially
remarkable innovator whose true merit has
comfortable. He was now able to do what he
been greatly obscured by the excessive and often
wished. Although selling for profit would still be
immoderate praise accorded him in his lifetime.
necessary, he could now devote most of his time
Burbank was born on a farm in Lancaster,
to the production of more and better kinds of
Massachusetts, where he gained the basic skills
cultivated plants.
which would help him in his career. He at-
Burbank imported plants and seeds from
tended the excellent Lancaster Academy and
foreign countries and botanized in the North-
was a frequent reader in the town library. As a
west to find material suitable for his experi-
young man he obtained an edition (still pre-
ments. The results of his development of mate-
served among his books) of Charles Darwin's
rial by selection, grafting, and other methods
The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domesti-
gained international publicity after the publica-
cation (1868), which, as he later explained,
tion of the first edition of his catalog, New Cre-
marked a turning point in his intellectual devel-
ations in Fruits and Flowers (1893). This an-
opment.
nounced a dazzling array of hybrid plums,
In 1871 the twenty-one-year-old Burbank
prunes, chestnuts, and almonds, as well as
purchased his own land near Lunenburg and
raspberries and other berries and a host of
began truck gardening, supplying the nearby
"new" flowers.
town of Fitchburg with produce. There he
Of course, Burbank was still working without
began his experiments, by selecting individual
benefit of the later science of genetics, and his
plants with unusually great bearing capacity,
success in obtaining remarkable cultivars was
early ripening, faster growth, or other desirable
empiricism at its best. In an early paper, his
characteristics. These "superior" plants were
contemporary Vernon L. Kellogg accurately
used to further his stock. Burbank's efforts to
summarized Burbank's methods and merits. He
cross-pollinate white sweet corn with yellow field
was importing foreign species which could be
corn (then used for fodder) to obtain a yellow
improved, if grown under different cir-
table ear were unsuccessful. Had he read the
cumstances or hybridized with American stock.
unopened pages of the Harvard University copy
He was producing extreme variations by adjust-
of a recent paper by a Catholic priest, he would
ing such circumstances of cultivation as space,
have known exactly how to proceed. But the
light, food supply, water, and temperature. Fur-
work of Gregor Mendel had yet to be "dis-
thermore, he was producing hybrids between
covered," and the modern science of genetics (as
"forms closely related, less closely related, and,
well as the development of hybrid corn, central
finally, as dissimilar as may be (not producing
424
ently enjoyed and did little to combat-his repu-
tation began to suffer greatly among scientists
and other intellectuals. After financial aid had
been granted him by the Carnegie Institution,
an investigation of his methodology revealed
that his record-keeping was frequently not up to
scientific standards. although the zoologist and
educator David Starr Jordan argued that this
was the result of the rigorous demands of his
work as compared to available time, as well as
the necessity to sell his new forms. 10
Undoubtedly Burbank was indeed limited as a
scientist, although he was exceptionally gifted as
an empiricist. In succeeding years he was alter-
nately praised and attacked for his claims and
opinions, while a core of sensible writers con-
tinued to extol his actual contributions. Finan-
cial manipulators took advantage of him, while
his popular reputation soared to greater and
greater heights. Yet he managed to continue his
work to the end; just before his death he com-
pleted work on a new strain of his famous Shasta
daisy and various new gladioli.
Burbank took some part in the complex con-
flicts involving the ideas of Darwin, Mendel, the
biometricians, and the mutationists which were
to continue until well after his lifetime and
which finally resulted in a reconciliation and a
Luther Burbank and his bed of spineless Opuntia cactus at Santa
basis for modern genetics. But his best work was
Rosa. From the Luther Burbank Papers.
done before the rediscovery of Mendel. The
various aspects of Burbank's heritage are ably
summarized by his latest biographer, Peter
Dreyer, 11 and surely the most significant are the
sterility), this hybridizing being often immensely
numerous edible and floral plants now in culti-
complicated by multiplying crosses" to gain de-
vation which descend from stock developed by
sired characteristics. Finally, Burbank had an
the sage of Santa Rosa.
uncanny ability to recognize desirable modifica-
Burbank's papers (about ten thousand items)
tions and perpetuate them.9
have remained in family hands since his death in
The reports of "new creations" continued,
1926, although some investigators have been al-
and Burbank's reputation proceeded to grow.
lowed to consult portions of them. Of consider-
In popular publications his more uncritical
able interest is a series of various forms of
proponents seized upon such productions as the
notebooks dating from the 1880s to 1926. These
"plumcot" (a hybrid of the plum and apricot)
are of uneven value in documenting his work
and his spineless cactus (developed for cattle
and illustrate the problems which beset him,
fodder). Burbank was promoted as a "wizard,"
such as the necessity to make hurried and some-
despite the protests of such sensible friends as
times insufficient notations about what he was
the scientist Liberty Hyde Bailey that he had no
actually doing when experimenting with large
"magic" other than patient inquiry and acute
judgment.
Following immoderate and sometimes unwar-
ranted praise by the press and popular
An 1885 planting diagram from one of Luther Burbank's
magazines-praise that Burbank himself appar-
notebooks. From the Luther Burbank Papers.
long
Neb
107
Bulb. Beds Planted florifat (884
257
centre - W.
very frim large
Named
(is)
el
As
sweet Auf 10 builded
Alla
atora
9° intended
109 24 C 43
by small
fruits have
Frayed
9
sparaxis
cling
have golden
party
mender yellow flash
the Stow
Aleburgia Incarnota
Centre Itadidus bhilli Alba
#
B= Pharmadrasta chloraced
from
#
Pendula
#
Hydenths named
D=Lachenalia Tricoler
S.
#
Augainth noned
++: Tritonia Aurea sincerely
Monthratia croco
#
tb Milla Bifire
#
6 Dauble Ixias
maraines Other narcisions
X
cling
Kloom
the
grand Managere Narcisions
5 Srand Managine Narcissing
the
R
Mixed
Tulips
good
Parent 7. with
Phinosi Rifers july Aug
#
myed
Ew
426
quantities and varying kinds of material.
the chosen spot of all the earth as far as nature is
Moreover, Burbank was naturally inclined to
concerned." The climate was "perfect." He had
trust to memory and (as he never claimed to be
taken a long walk "and found enough curious
trying to add to scientific knowledge) he concen-
plants in a wild spot of about an acre to set a
trated on recording the finished product rather
botanist wild," such as "the wild yam which I
than the means of obtaining it-therefore, the
hunted for so much in New England, also the
notations which he left at times provide in-
yerba buena, a vine which has a pleasant taste
adequate data for those studying his work.
like peppermint." Burbank meant "to get a
The notebooks include nursery plan books;
piece of land (hire or buy) and plant it, then I
scattered records of yearly planting, modifica-
can do other work just the same." The result was
tion, and yield of various species and hybrids;
his purchase of the first tract at Santa Rosa.
records of the purchase of experimental mate-
Several of Burbank's personal diaries are
rial which illustrate Burbank's diligence in ob-
present. One records a return journey to Mas-
taining seeds and plants from various parts of
sachusetts in 1888, and illustrates his rural Yan-
the world for propagation and modification;
kee frugality. Burbank spent $64.75 for tickets
and general sales records which document the
and subsisted on inexpensive meals supple-
"business" aspect of Burbank's activities and in-
mented by nuts and fruits, SO that his entire
dicate the recipients of his material and the prof-
expenditure for the eight-day journey to Wor-
its he received. There is a considerable volume
cester was only $78.75. (At this time Burbank's
of typescript records of genera and species he
profit from sales was over ten thousand dollars a
kept in cultivation (again providing information
year, a very substantial income for a nursery-
about the extremely wide original geographical
man in 1888, but a considerable amount of his
distribution of his plants and the extensive
income was used for perpetuating his farms and
range of his species within the botanical king-
purchasing new stock.)
dom). These records include various ideas for
There is an extensive general corre-
further research on individual species and varia-
spondence, and in many cases drafts or carbons
tions.
of Burbank's letters have been retained. There
Several scrapbooks consist of small manu-
are many exchanges with Burbank's sources of
script and typed notes concerning seeds and
material, as well as inquiries and orders in re-
plants received and distributed. In some cases
sponse to his seed catalogs. Although much of
separate data were kept for the original farm
the correspondence derived from public adula-
(now in downtown Santa Rosa) and the tract at
tion and some was simply "fan mail," Burbank
Sebastopol, some miles away, which Burbank
wrote to and received letters from a wide spec-
later purchased because he needed more space
trum of scientists, naturalists, horticulturists, au-
for the vast numbers of plants he cultivated.
thors, and public men from Henry Ford and
There are many drawings of fruits and other
Edwin Markham to Thomas A. Edison and
products of his experiments, and sketches illus-
David Starr Jordan.
trating attempts at grafting and other tech-
Some of the correspondence and other man-
niques. Although these are of great interest,
uscript materials are embellished by explanatory
they also are of uneven value because many lack
notes in the last Mrs. Burbank's hand. For
sufficient data for proper evaluation.
example, an exchange of letters between Bur-
Personal materials include a variety of family
bank and the famous naturalist and conser-
records beginning with Burbank's childhood in
vationist John Muir (who had also been a
Lancaster and his attendance at the academy.
pioneer California horticulturist) indicates that
The family correspondence is valuable as there
even in 1910 the two had not met personally;
are many letters written and received by Bur-
Muir wrote that it was "strange how people so
bank, some as early as 1857. For example, dur-
near are SO long kept apart.
when
I
have
ing and after the journey to California he kept
thought of visiting I have always imagined you
his family informed of his progress and impres-
overwhelmed and inaccessible in a crowd." Mrs.
sions; reaching his destination, he wrote: "I
Burbank's attached note explains that some time
firmly believe from what I have seen that this is
later Muir and Burbank met by accident in San
427
Francisco. "They recognized each other and
hoc group (October 977-April 1978), was to
neither said a word but with their arms around
mobilize public support for ratification of the
each other's shoulders went on up Market
treaties. Historians of foreign policy will be in-
Street."
terested in the composition of the committee,
At an early period Burbank realized the value
the scope of its activities, and its impact upon
of photography in recording the course and re-
one of the most heated Senate debates in Amer-
sults of plant breeding. His papers include over
ican diplomatic history.
a thousand prints and another large quantity of
Large and important additions also were
glass plate negatives which document his work,
made to several existing collections. Among
although, as is true of other materials, relevant
these were approximately 350,000 items of
data are sometimes lacking. There are many
WPA records. Included in this addition are
family photographs and an interesting series of
Federal Theater Project play production rec-
prints depicting Burbank at work and receiving
ords. The material consists of play readers' re-
guests at Santa Rosa. Numerous prints record
ports, drama and research files, production
the appearance of Burbank's plots, buildings,
notebooks, programs, playbills posters, play-
greenhouses, and interiors at various periods.
scripts, radioscripts, and scrapbooks. Some
When the collection is organized for reader use,
eighty-five thousand items of correspondence,
these materials will be transferred to the Li-
committee files, financial records, administrative
brary's Prints and Photographs Division.
files, and reports were added to the records of
Among the papers is a series of scrapbooks of
the American Psychological Association. A large
carefully identified press notices concerning
addition (close to thirty-nine thousand items)
Burbank and his work. These begin with initial
was also received from the Leadership Confer-
accounts of the new potato before his departure
ence on Civil Rights. The bulk of the material
for California and gradually swell in number
comprises correspondence, subject files, and
and frequency. Burbank subscribed to an espe-
task force reports.
cially efficient clipping service, so that the vast
material in the scrapbooks serves as a well-
documented source of information about his
Reproductions
public image. There are also reprints of more
scholarly assessments and a large quantity of
Among the Library's manuscript collections
ephemeral printed materials, including a sup-
published in microfilm editions in 1978 were the
posedly complete series of Burbank's catalogs
papers of Carrie Chapman Catt, feminist and
assembled by the estate.
suffragette; Supreme Court Justice John Mar-
A selection of Burbank's papers has been re-
shall Harlan; Richard Olney, President Cleve-
tained by the city of Santa Rosa, according to the
land's attorney general and secretary of state;
terms of gift, for display in the Burbank home,
and Joseph Pulitzer II (1885-1955), editor and
which is being converted into a museum. The
publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Portions
Library has microfilmed the approximately one
of collections filmed for reader use included the
thousand items conveyed to the city SO that the
diaries and notebooks (1900-19) of Wilbur and
entire body of papers is represented in the
Orville Wright; the letterbooks (1882-1909) of
Manuscript Division.
career diplomat Henry White; and the diaries
(1865-98) of John Russell Young, journalist,
diplomat, and Librarian of Congress.
Archives and Records
Microfilm publications of collections in other
repositories accessioned by the Library included
From the Committee of Americans for the
the papers of Thomas Jefferson at the Univer-
Canal Treaties, Inc. the division received a
sity of Virginia, James A. Garfield at the Ohio
one-volume brief history detailing its origins
Historical Society, Henry L. Stimson at Yale
and operations during the period of national
University, George Washington Carver at Tus-
debate over the ratification of the Panama Canal
kegee Institute, J. Sterling Morton at the Ne-
treaties. The purpose of the committee, an ad
braska State Historical Society, David Starr
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Burbank, Luther (1849-1926)
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Series 2