Luther Burbank and the New Earth 109 



is doubtless the best known. This literally dominates 

 its field ; something like 600,000,000 bushels have been 

 grown to date. It by no means found early acceptance, 

 however, and in this as in many other instances he has 

 been made the victim of substitution. It is easy to 

 imagine that many of his valuable creations now re- 

 garded as matters of spectacular interest will some day 

 be as generally used as his famous potato. How much 

 this da^' will be retarded by the conscienceless sale of 

 things pretended to be his which are not his at all, no 

 one can say. 



I have long thought that I would rather have the 

 opinion of Luther Burbank concerning the foundation 

 principles of the new life of the land, than that of any 

 other living man. His minutes are like diamonds, yet he 

 lavished his precious time upon me, and never have I 

 talked to any one else who listened with such perfect 

 sympathy and complete comprehension. My highest 

 hope has been that he would feel that his own work is 

 of peculiar value to those who make loving use of a little 

 land, and that for them it would mean better living 

 and higher rewards for their labor. This hope is 

 justified. 



I explained how the old forms of country life have 

 failed ; how the life of the land must be renewed, re- 

 stored, made over; how the new appeal must be to the 

 deepest instincts of the human heart, the new institu- 

 tions expressive of the best ideals of democracy. His 

 response was instant and enthusiastic. When I asked 

 him how much land is really necessary for the average 

 man to use, he replied : 



"A thousand acres for an Indian, a hundred acres 



