The Training of the Human Plant

by Luther Burbank

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1907

About the author

In 1849, Luther Burbank was born in Massachusetts. He found fame early, when he single-handedly saved U.S. potato crops from the deadly blight by cultivating russet potatoes. The inventor, who ran Burbank's Experimental Farms in Santa Rosa, Calif., produced more than 800 new varieties of fruits and plants, such as the Shasta daisy. He was recognized for his plant breeding by an Act of Congress. The beloved naturalist was one of Robert Ingersoll's greatest fans. Burbank believed, "Children are the greatest sufferers from outgrown theologies." Shaken by the Scopes trial, Burbank wrote: "And to think of this great country in danger of being dominated by people ignorant enough to take a few ancient Babylonian legends as the canons of modern culture. Our scientific men are paying for their failure to speak out earlier. There is no use now talking evolution to these people. Their ears are stuffed with Genesis." In 1926, an interview about his freethought views appeared in the San Francisco Bulletin, which headlined it: "I'm an Infidel, Declares Burbank, Casting Doubt on Soul Immortality Theory." The article was reprinted around the world, creating shockwaves. Burbank was inundated with mostly critical letters, which he felt he had to reply to personally. Friend and later biographer, Wilbur Hale, attributed Burbank's hastened death to the exertion of his replies: "He died, not a martyr to truth, but a victim of the fatuity of blasting dogged falsehood." A crowd estimated at 100,000 came to Luther's memorial, and heard the openly atheistic and ringing tribute by Judge Lindsay of Denver, Colorado. California still celebrates Luther Burbank's birthday as Arbor Day, planting trees in his memory. D. 1926.

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Reviews

[Panda1602 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened across this book by reading the 'Biography of a Yogi - Paramahansa Yogananda'. Burbank and Yogananda had a crossing of paths, more from their connection to the Divine Universe, and both realised that through love anything is possible. Whilst coming to this conclusion from differing points of view it is still the underlying principle of what both Burbank and Yoganda intrinsically knew and lived their lives by. As always when I read, I take out what resonates with me, and leave the rest to remain on the pages

[Tbfrank · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stumbled on this title mentioned in an article about Katherine Tingley and the school she established at Point Loma in San Diego, California. The reference had to do with the care and nuture of children. Both believed a proper and consistent environment for the first seven to ten years of a child's life would produce better people. From that point, the two diverged, Tingley believing formal education should begin by age two, Burbank after age 10. He cited the inability of girls, otherwise intelligent, to do math either by nature or inclination before then. Tingley's method employed a highly structured process while Burbank envisioned a less constrained upbringing in rural settings, focusing on family surroundings. Big cities had a negative effect on a child's nervous system.

Burbank was certainly a talented botanist and his experience with developing new and better plants led him to consider how to employ his knowledge to improve the American race. In doing so, he expressed some very odd ideas about heredity and its relationship to environment, including the affect by interacting with other people, in producing changes over time. Yet in another place he states that heredity can overcome environment. He also wrote that acquired characteristics such as good habits could be transmitted. At this time the work of Gregor Mendel was being rediscovered and the science of genitics becoming more widely known.

He believed a balanced diet was importent and cited obesity and malnutrition as problems to avoid. He advocated state aid for the poor to ensure their children received proper nurishment. His views on education and how it should be done properly are fairly progressive. One of the more scurillous ideas he had was the prohibition of marriage between unfit persons should be mandated in every state, laws that are still around in some places today.

Included in the text is a breakdown of immigration to the U.S. in 1904. More that 50 nations were represented by more than 750,000 individuals. (10 years before WWI nearly 170,000 came from the nations representing the Central Powers.) Burbank saw this extensive pool as having great potential for improving the human race.

A well-meaning individual, he wanted to lay out some rules for raising children of intelligence and character. He freely admitted that horticulture and animal husbandry were far different from childrearing, but believed the care required to produce successful outcomes were similar if not identical. However, his views as a non-parent seemed naive and fraught with wishful thinking and his ideas, other than public aid to the poor, lacked practical application.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "Wizard of Botany" recounts his philosophy on humans... The man has some very interesting views on how people should be raised. The whole of his philosophy seems to state that humans should be raised with love and learn by Nature's laws ntil the age of 10, only then should "education" even be considered. Some ideas are outdated and may seem depraved such as not allowing the physically unfit to wed, but overall he has a lot of good, interesting ideas.

One of my favorites:

"A perfect system of education can never be attained because education is preparing one for the environment expected, and conditions change with time and place."

[Pineapple Pizza · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would do a perfect introduction for a thesis, if only more data were available.
A good book to go a bit out of the box. I missed some backing to all the ideas but somehow it leads the reader into some really good insights.
Surprisingly updated, considering when it was written.

[Louis Dallara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mind-expanding read, a must-read for every child.

[Sarah Flippo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many compelling thoughts and some odd conclusions, but worth a read.

[Leslie Goldman]

This is one of the books I will be rereading in 2012. I have started to write a Plant Your Dream Blog on it here. This book has basic ideas, some suitable for Art Work. I made one such in the past.

Here is my Blog Post:

http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=19...

[Sushmitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to grow our children(well) into a healthy nation? ~ the way we tender & treat plants to be a strong(big) tree !!