130 LUTHER BURBANK 



a tender but a juicy one as well. And, although Opuntia, 

 the cactus child, stood there before him with his needles 

 thrust out defiantly in every direction, seeming to say, 

 "Touch me, if you dare!" the master knew that this un- 

 friendly child possessed many good qualities, which recom- 

 mended him for training in the plant school. 



Opuntia had a strong, hardy constitution and grew 

 rapidly. He did not shrink from the blistering sun, like 

 most plant children. He could thrive on any soil, for he 

 was used to small rations, and he did not care in the least 

 if his home was changed from the barren plain where he 

 was so hunted, for animals, both small and large, sought 

 him there eagerly, though the thorns often pierced them 

 severely. 



Opuntia, thought the wise one, will doubtless prove a 

 stubborn child and need strict training. It will require a 

 steady hand to guide him, and great patience will need to 

 be exercised for years and years. But no matter about 

 that. No matter how wild or defiant a plant seemed, if 

 Burbank saw in it something good and useful, the pupil 

 was received even joyously, as in this case, "in to the school. 



Luther Burbank had long been acquainted with many 

 varieties of the cactus. Indeed, as a little child, when he 

 first began to toddle, a lobster cactus in a little pot was 

 his plaything. He hugged the treasure close and carried it 

 carefully; but one day he stumbled and fell, breaking both 

 pot and plant. You can well imagine how sorry he felt. 



