ON BOYHOOD DAYS 



these were seemingly of a somewhat formal and 

 technically scientific order, whereas the inspira- 

 tion for my work has been found rather in an 

 ardent love of nature. 



I desired to deal with the forces of life and 

 mold the plastic forms of living organisms rather 

 than to classify the fixed and immutable phe- 

 nomena of dead ones, which would appear to be 

 the province of the geologist. 



Doubtless, however, the strain of interest in 

 matters scientific that was evidenced in the geo- 

 logical proclivities of my Burbank cousin consti- 

 tuted an important hereditary element that, 

 mingled with the more poetical and sympathetic 

 elements of nature-worship which were in the 

 hereditary strains of my mother's family, rounded 

 out the characteristics of an essentially practical 

 plant developer who loved his task for the very 

 doing of it, yet who never forgot that practical 

 ends must be achieved. 



My father, Samuel Walton Burbank, was a man 

 of sterling integrity, scholarly tastes, strong convic- 

 tions, and unusually good business abilities. He 

 was very indulgent, and fond of his children, and 

 gave to each the best education within his power. 

 He was much respected by his neighbors, and 

 greatly enjoyed associating with them. He was a 

 sincere man, noted in the neighborhood as one 



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