EncyclopediaBurbank, Luther
Burbank, Luther (bûr'bănk) [key], 1849–1926, American plant breeder, b. Lancaster, Mass. He experimented with thousands of plant varieties and developed many new ones, including new varieties of prunes, plums, raspberries, blackberries, apples, peaches, and nectarines. Besides the Burbank potato, he produced new tomato, corn, squash, pea, and asparagus forms; a spineless cactus useful in cattle feeding; and many new flowers, especially lilies and the famous Shasta daisy. His methods and results are described in his books—How Plants Are Trained to Work for Man (8 vol., 1921) and, with Wilbur Hall, Harvest of the Years (1927) and Partner of Nature (1939)—and in his descriptive catalogs, New Creations. After 1875 his work was done at Santa Rosa, Calif.
See D. S. Jordan and V. Kellogg, The Scientific Aspects of Luther Burbank's Work (1909); E. B. Beeson, The Early Life and Letters of Luther Burbank (1927); W. L. Howard, Luther Burbank (1945); K. Kraft, Luther Burbank (1967).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
More on Luther Burbank from Infoplease:
- Burbank: meaning and definitions - Burbank: Definition and Pronunciation
- Luther Burbank - Luther Burbank Born: 1849 Birthplace: Lancaster, Mass. Peach—Burbank developed more than 800 ...
- Luther Burbank - Luther Burbank Born: 1849 Birthplace: Lancaster, Mass. Peach—Burbank developed more than 800 ...
- March 7 Birthdays: Luther Burbank - March 7 birthdays: Luther Burbank, Janet Guthrie, Sir John Herschel, Maurice Ravel, Ivan Lendl, Michael Eisner, Piet Mondrian
- Luther Burbank - Biography of Luther Burbank, Inventor of the Burbank potato
