236 LUTHER BURBANK 



near-by towns, and this part of the work I found 

 thoroughly enjoyable. 



When the time came for me to take up a defi- 

 nite occupation, I not unnaturally turned to one 

 of the factories, the more willingly because of 

 always having had the keenest interest in things 

 mechanical. 



At the Lancaster Academy, which I attended 

 after gaining sufficient preliminary knowledge 

 in the district school, I was particularly inter- 

 ested in free-hand drawing, which was found 

 very easy, and had always an interest in design- 

 ing. So my father, observing these tendencies, 

 concluded that his son would be a mechanic. 



I had not been long at work before the knack 

 at contriving things mechanical came to my aid. 



The company were pleased with my work and 

 I might have remained indefinitely in their em- 

 ploy at a remunerative salary. But the clouds 

 of dust that came from the oak lumber began to 

 impair my health and it was thought best to 

 leave the shop for a while at least. So my ex- 

 perience as a manufacturer of wood products 



ended. 



CHOOSING A PROFESSION 



I was always frail of body and of delicate 

 physique, although wiry of build and not with- 

 out good powers of endurance. But shop life 



