Luther Burbank was born the thirteenth of 15 children in Lancaster,

Massachusetts on March 7, 1849. He was a sensitive, shy boy with a curiosity

about the outdoors. His cousin, Professor Levi Burbank, took him on long

walks in the woods to study plant life and discuss his interests in biology.

He completed his formal education at Lancaster Academy, where he

studied biology, chemistry and physics, but he didn't decide upon a career. He

wanted to study medicine but there was so many children in his family and so

little money, he was forced to go to work. He got a job in a near-by factory as

a wood turner and pattern maker for fifty cents a day. He didn't like this work

because it was indoors, so he decided to become a truck gardener. It was at this

time that Luther first read Charles Darwin's Animals and Plants Under

Domestication. He decided then and there to make plant breeding his life's

work. Although he had no real scientific education, he did have an intense

curiosity about plants and a love of nature. He began simple experiments, and,

through trial and error, improved growing methods. These he tested in further

and was growing more than 5,000 distinct botanical species native to many

him in their churches. The people who bought his stock called him "The Plant

acknowledged the importance of Burbank's experiments. They granted him

potatoes which were larger, whiter , smoother and sweeter than any other yet

Some common words found in the essay are:
Plants Domestication, Rosa California, Carnegie Institute, Fruit Flowers, Lancaster Academy, Levi Burbank, Massachusetts March, Luther Burbank, Plant Wizard, California April, plant breeding, rosa california, sweet corn, burbank luther, santa rosa, luther burbank, burbank potato, santa rosa california, plant life,
Approximate Word count = 1039
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)