LUTHER BURBANK, THE MAN 



progress. The order was from a man who was 

 going to start a large prune ranch. He wanted 

 twenty thousand young prune trees to set out. 

 It would take in the ordinary course of events 

 from two and a half to three years for a nur- 

 seryman to raise the trees, but this was a 

 hurry-up order; if it was to be filled, it must 

 be filled in nine months. 



He took the order. With all haste he 

 scoured the country for men and boys to plant 

 almonds. It was late in the season and the 

 almond seed was the only one which would 

 sprout at that time among all the trees that 

 were suitable for his plans. It grows very 

 rapidly, too, and this was taken into account. 

 In a comparatively short time the young shoots 

 were big enough for budding. Twenty thou- 

 sand prune buds were in readiness, were bud- 

 ded into the growing almonds, and the young 

 trees started forward in their race for the prize. 

 When the nine months were up the twenty 

 thousand prune trees were ready. Nature had 

 been outwitted, or, better put, had been led to 

 outdo herself; the fruit-grower was delighted ; 

 the young nurseryman was a good many dol- 

 lars in pocket. Today, twenty years afterward, 



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