CHAPTER IX 



LUTHER BURBANK AND THE NEW EARTH 



And he gave it for his opinion that whoever could make two 

 ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of 

 ground where only one grew before would deserve better of man- 

 kind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole 

 race of politicians put together. 



Jonathan Swift. 



OF all the persons mentioned in these pages, Mr. 

 Burbank is the most significant; and this not 

 merely because of his worldwide fame, but much 

 more because he is dealing at first hand with the very 

 elements that enter into the daily life of the home-in-a- 

 garden. I spent a never-to-be-forgotten day with him 

 at Santa Rosa, going over the theme of this book with 

 considerable care, and quite needlessly reassuring myself 

 of his sympathy and support. He is, of course, the 

 foremost man in the world in his line of work. 

 And what is that line of work? 



Superficially it is plant-breeding, but fundament- 

 ally, it is infinitely more than that. It goes to the 

 heart of the problem of human life upon this planet. 

 It affects first, and most palpably, the food supply of 

 the people. Here, alone, its influence is not only in 

 the highest degree creative, but revolutionary. It means 

 not only more food, and more food per square foot of 

 ground, but also better food. Follow this a step 

 farther and you see how the common standard of living 



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