Talk:Luther Burbank

Unitarian Universalist?

Most of my knowledge of Burbank comes from reading the Krafts' book, which was based mainly on interviews with people who knew him and on original documents. They did not give me the impression that he was a member of any religion, although he had spiritual beliefs. I'm not sure if I should take off this tag in case the Unitarian Universalists might feel that I am persecuting their religion. Steve Dufour 12:24, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Yes, LB was described as a "fellow Unitarian" in 1902 in the Pacific Unitarain magazine.

69.12.152.181 05:39, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

I recommend listing the following biography by Peter Dreyer: A Gardener Touched with Genius. The work by the Krafts is of dubious historical veracity.

I will check that out. The Krafts certainly had me fooled.  :-) Steve Dufour 04:26, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure how it fits in with the other information about his beliefs, but I recall reading years ago in an encyclopedia (Compton's I think) entry about the 'infidel' controversy that swirled around him late in his life. The atheist site infidels.com reproduces an article from a San Francisco paper where he described religion as, "But as a scientist I cannot help feeling that all religions are on a tottering foundation." Even allowing for the yellow journalism of the day sensationalizing his views and the bias of an atheist website, I cannot help but feel that this aspect of his life is being sidestepped. Though I do not know how it should be dealt with in text. http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/edgar_waite/luther_burbank_infidel.html 24.9.161.62 03:00, 30 October 2007 (UTC)

I don't know how to edit the article but there are some items that should be changed. LBH&G is always written with an & not "and".

The eight-volume set is a reprint of the 12 volume set from 1914 not a new work.The work was primarily a heavily edited "conversation" with several editors and took nearly 10 years to complete.

The Training of the Human Plant and My Beleifs were penned by Burbank. The fundamental principles of plant breeding was as well.

Many, if not all of the other "works" listed are chapters in Vol 1 of the 12 volume set. Heavily edited/written by others. The Motion Picture thing is a chapter in Vol 1 not a book, not written by Burbank.

Burbank died in 1926 at home in Santa Rosa.

He married Helen Coleman in 1890 not 1880.

Other "works" are monographs produced by the editors of the 12 volume set. Monographs not necessarily written by Burbank. Additional "works" below are simply plant catalogues, not literature.

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I recommend that all of these be removed:

Other works include: The Training of the Human Plant Some Interesting Failures: The Petunia with the Tobacco Habit, and Others The Almond and Its Improvement: Can It Be Grown Inside of the Peach? Four Burbank Plums, and How They were Made: Methods Which Brought Unprecedented Success Corn: The King of America's Crops: Not Only Better Corn, But a Better Stalk and Why Twenty-three Potato Seeds and What They Taught A Glimpse at the Influence of Heredity Other Useful Plants Which Will Repay Experiment: Transformations and Improvements Waiting to Be Made How Plants Adapt Themselves to Conditions: The Influence of Environment The Tomato and an Interesting Experiment: A Plant which Bore Potatoes Below and Tomatoes Above The Rivalry of Plants To Please Us: On the Forward March of Adaptation How the Cactus Got Its Spines and How It Lost Them: A Sidelight on the Importance of Environment Some Plants which are Begging for Immediate Improvement: Some Plants which are Begging for Immediate Improvement Manufacturing Food for the Live Stock: Some Suggestions on Clover, Timothy and Alfalfa Plants Which Yield Useful Chemical Substances: Observations on Sugar Cane, Hops and Sugar Beets Short-Cuts into the Centuries to Come: Better Plants Secured by Hurrying Evolution What to Work for in Flowers: And How to Proceed No Two Living Things Exactly Alike: Infinite Ingenuity the Price of Variation Fixing Good Traits: How to Hold a Result Once Achieved How Far Can Plant Improvement Go?: The Crossroads Where Fact and Theory Seem to Part The Burbank Cherry: The Explanation of a Double Improvement My Life and Work with Fruits and Flowers Garden Culture Burbank's new creations and special new selections in seeds Proof book number 1 How nature makes plants to our order Luther Burbank, his methods and discoveries and their practical application: A synopsis Fundamental principles of plant breeding: Production of new trees, fruits and flowers : plants and children Another mode of species forming Advance offering of pedigreed Burbank novelties: Fruits and flowers direct from Burbank nurseries, season 1912-1913 New plants to feed the world: And other articles by and about Luther Burbank from Orchard and Farm The new Shasta daisies: "Alaska", "California", "Westralia" The fundamental principles of plant breeding Plant breeding (How his first plants are trained to work for man)

Luther Burbank around 1922

He also wrote two books unrelated to botany: Piecing the Fragments of a Motion Picture Film : We Stop to Take a Backward Glance and My Beliefs.

I will do this. One of the objections to the featured article candidacy was that the article was too "listy". Steve Dufour 08:00, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

Another booklet written by Luther Burbank

Austerlitz 88.72.6.86 11:30, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

I have removed the two links above, because they were places to buy the book, and Wikipedia is not an advertising site. Here is the text of Training of the Human Plant by Luther Burbank — Randall Bart 18:53, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

There is the title only; is it not?

Austerlitz -- 88.72.6.58 09:59, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

The official site for LBH&G is best accessed through www.lutherburbank.org. This leads directly to the Burbank-related pages. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.191.195.234 (talk) 04:37, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

Luther Burbank's strains or varieties as urbal legends?

Dear colleagues, please help find last scientific data about numbers of Burbank's strains or varieties. How many from his strains are really use in the beginnings of 1900-, in the middle of XX century (1940-1970), and today?

In long discussions (look Editing Talk:Luther Burbank for an article in ru-wiki proect branch) and on the process for nomination for Good article (look discussions for nomination, in russian) we see such comments as: (many Burbank's strains/varieties) - "urbal legends" or "activity of this doubtful (or litigions) figure" (in russian: "деятельности этой спорной фигуры"). Some doubts were expressed in operations in the article (such as this).

Is it the correct or withstand modern point of view?

Did we really can said today: "Luther Burbank - doubtful figure", and "his 800-1200 strains and varieties - only some kinds of urbal legends"?

Your comment is important for the correct estimation of Burbank person, and for the estimation of context quality of the Russian article ru:Бёрбанк, Лютер on the process for nomination of one for Good article.

With kind regards, Alexandrov (talk) 13:35, 29 January 2009 (UTC)

A question except for Burbank Potato are there any Burbank "creations" ?

Hi excpet for Burbank Potato are ther any of Burbanks "creations" still on market? Wsant Burbank a friend of greta uthor Jack London? Thanks!Andreisme (talk) 04:15, 11 April 2009 (UTC)