How THE CACTUS GOT ITs SPINES 
—AND How IT Lost THEM 
A SIDELIGHT ON 
THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENT 
cactus on Luther Burbank’s experiment farm 
which first strikes the visitor’s eye. In the 
same yard there are 2500 other experiments under 
way—new flowers, fruits, vegetables, trees and 
|. IS the acre-and-a-quarter patch of spineless 
plants of all descriptions such as man has never 
before seen, but the velvet slabbed cactus—freed 
from its thorns—seems more than a plant trans- 
formation, it seems a miracle. Since the spineless 
cactus represents the typical Burbank boldness 
of conception, and reflects the typical Burbank 
skillful execution, we may as well begin with it. 
It occurred to Luther Burbank one day that 
every plant growing on fhe desert was either 
bitter, or poisonous, or spiny. It was this simple 
observation which gave him the idea of this new 
[ VoLUME I—Cuwapter [] 
