LUTHER BURBANK, THE MAN 
progress. The order was from a man who was 
going to start a large prune ranch. He wanted 
twenty thousand young prune trees to set out. 
It would take in the ordinary course of events 
from two and a half to three years for a nur- 
seryman to raise the trees, but this was a 
hurry-up order; if it was to be filled, it must 
be filled in nine months. 
He took the order. With all haste he 
scoured the country for men and boys to plant 
almonds. It was late in the season and the 
almond seed was the only one which would 
sprout at that time among all the trees that 
were suitable for his plans. It grows very 
rapidly, too, and this was taken into account. 
In a comparatively short time the young shoots 
were big enough for budding. Twenty thou- 
sand prune buds were in readiness, were bud- 
ded into the growing almonds, and the young 
trees started forward in their race for the prize. 
When the nine months were up the twenty 
thousand prune trees were ready. Nature had 
been outwitted, or, better put, had been led to 
outdo herself; the fruit-grower was delighted ; 
the young nurseryman was a good many dol- 
lars in pocket, Today, twenty years afterward, 
15 
