As the World Knows 

 Burbank To-day 



THE pioneer in any new line of thought is usually 

 first ridiculed and frowned upon; then abused; later 

 endured and pitied; and afterward accepted as an oracle. 

 Such was the lot of Luther Burbank, but with patience and 

 fortitude^ not heeding the skeptics and cynics^ he struggled 

 forward from the humble position of lowliest beginner to 

 the envied heights of the world's foremost plant breeder. 



Burbank and Edison 



Luther Burbank holds much the same place in the hearts 

 and admiration of his fellow men as Thomas Edison. They 

 have a great deal in common. Both are known as ''wizards" 

 and ''geniuses/' whereas their accomplishments have been 

 chiefly the reward of hard work with intelligence to guide 

 them; both have passed the traditional three score and ten 

 years and are still tremendously keen in their enjoyment of 

 life and work. 



Thousands of people make pilgrimages to Burbank's ex- 

 perimental farm at Santa Rosa^ in the hope that they 

 may be permitted to see and talk with the famous "Plant 

 Wizard.'' Visitors were welcomed until Burbank found it 

 impossible to carry on his work and still meet personally 

 the rapidly increasing number^ many of whom had jour- 

 neyed far to confer with him and to learn his methods. 

 Among these were men and women prominent in literature^ 

 art, science^ education^ finance^ those connected with gov- 

 ernments of most foreign lands^ and many whose names 

 are familiar in song and story. 



During the last ten years he has spared the time to 

 see but few of those desiring an interview. Invitations to 

 write and to lecture in this and other lands have neces- 

 sarily been declined by him. He Is too busy making plant 

 history to devote his valuable time to public appearances or 

 to playing host to visiting admirers. 



A Glimpse of a Unique Genius 



Although the name of Luther Burbank is familiar 

 throughout the whole civilized worlds and even where civili- 



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