Luther Burbank 59 



hundred and fifty thousand dollars (£50,000) of his own 

 earnings back into the work. 



In his earlier days he suffered from neglect and poverty ; 

 later, when he became famous, he suffered almost equally 

 from popularity. From 1904 onward his grounds were 

 overrun with visitors, the number averaging six thousand 

 yearly. His grounds were overrun with people from 

 dawn till dark. Some of his most precious plants died for 

 lack of care, and even on Sundays and holidays he was 

 allowed no rest. Even his sleep was disturbed. Letters 

 piled up beyond the possibility of answering, and even 

 telegrams remained unopened. For days together he was 

 forced to take his meals standing. This went on until 

 his health gave way and he was forced to put a notice on 

 his gates, " Positively no visitors allowed," and to hire an 

 assistant who stood in a little office built just outside the 

 gate and whose sole duty was to deal with visitors and 

 take orders for seeds, bulbs, or trees. 



It is pleasant to know that Luther Burbank lived to 

 enjoy world-wide fame and success. When he died in 

 1926 at the age of seventy-seven his name was known 

 throughout the civilized world and his plants had taken 

 root in every country. 



