Show What My Parents Wanted Me to Be Y I Ii i I LUTHER BURBANK I My ly father Samuel Walton Bur Burbank ank was a man of sterling integrity scholarly schol schol- arly arIy tastes tastes strong convictions and unusually unusually un un- un- un usually good business ability He was very Indulgent and mid fond of ot his children and gave nave to each the best education within his power My mother mothel whose maiden name was Olive Oliva Ross was an aji active and Intelligent intelligent intelligent intelli Intelli- gent woman who looked alter after her multiform household duties with scrupulous scrupulous scrupulous care She was very fond of ot flowers and antl despite her exacting duties had the place surrounded by II them I r have always felt that m my passionate passion passion- ate love lovo o e of flowers and my Inherent I lovo love of ot nature was perhaps inherited from front her She Sho used used often often to sa say I r hope you youl will leave the world worM a 1 better hotter place to to live Jive in iii for your having ha lived My ll fathers father's farm was located about three miles north of or the village of Lanca Lancaster Lancaster Lan Lan- ca caster t r Mass just off ott the main road to Harvard There I was born March 7 1849 1549 an and thero there my chil childhood hood and boyhood boyhood boyhood boy boy- hood days dars were passed passel My Iy father was an unusually unusual prosperous prosperous pros pros- perou fanner farmer and also a er Having Havinga a ver very lar largo large o family he heI I found foun it t necessary to supplement the resources s of ot field and orchard Pottery was In gr great at demand at I that time and he engaged aged in its manufacture manu manu- facture successfully for several years cars 1 Later it Jt was found profitable to I transform tho the pottery Into a a. brickyard ard He employed a large number of ot men I and m my brother Alfred an and myself when perhaps only 6 G or or- S years old I used to drive the oxen oten with loads of or brick to nearby towns I When the time tune c came rne for tor me to Ul tal up a a. definite occupation occupation- I not gnu turned to o one e of ot the factors of ot the more moro willingly because I ha having had the the- keenest t Interest things mechanical At tho the Lancaster academy attended after tho the district Interested In frt was particularly hand drawing which I found ve e i tf 1 w and I always always' had an interest signing So my father Cather ob observing ning Co forin wr for mental qualities found a place department c n in the wood working working- great manufactory in Worcester But the clouds of ot dust that e efrom from the oak lumber bc began to Ire best and it was thought my health tho the for tor a mo ma to leave leae shop least the stu 1 Soon oon after alter I began with the thc intention o of oC f medicine b I bing bowIng ear ar r studied studie for tor a I 1 doctor ing a t ath of my owing to the oath be bets I and family family moved mo to Groton in growing crowing r t tIt moro more interested inevitable ine tit perhaps me It was wag to should have come ultimatelY n would work which the line of u up 1 nature contact with mo nto hourly In de del chief from infancy my y cause found in the study stud or of had been of aC flo Jolt I companionship and in tho tiro while employed I In the W WIng t and even spare I everY e Ing factory spent about too ce cen 0 01 wandering wander ng I ment in until mY no W twe twenty twenty- n ty But it was not on OD entered that I 1 year I h n work vork although of ot course J tas tasty various ous all the va aI d In trained Jj oer ermy er er f farmer gardener and r f earliest ar jo ci t chi erd from fathers father's farm my 1 hoo hood Copyright InS 1315 by b the Press preiss h Co the re c To F. en |