WEEKEND AT APPLE FESTIVAL AND LUTHER BURBANK FARM

I WENT TO THE APPLE FESTIVAL THIS SATURDAY AND IT WAS VERY HOT. IT WAS A SMALLER FAIR THAN I REMEMBER IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.. I APPRECIATED THE MUSIC THAT WAS LIVE AND BROUGHT MY OWN LUNCH. I CHATTED WITH SOME OF THE VENDORS . IT WAS HELD AT IVES PARK WHERE MOST PEOPLE WERE DRINKING ALL KINDS OF DRINKS TO KEEP COOL. I REALLY ENJOYED LISTENING TO A PERUVIAQN FLUTIST WHO I HAD SEEN AT ANOTHER FAIR. I BOUGHT ONE OF HIS CD'S BEFORE.. HE MADE HIS FLUTES AND THEY WERE AMPLIFIED- HE DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. I TOLD HIM I ENJOYED THE MUSIC. THEN I NOTICED THE GUIDE AT THE FAIR INDICATED THAT ANOTHER ATTRACTION IN THE AREA WAS LUTHER BURBANK'S EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

SO AFTER EXITING THIS FAIR I DROVE TO VIEW THIS FARM NEARBY. THIS FARM IS NOW 3 ACRES OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASED IN 1885 BY THIS FAMOUS PLANT TRADER BORN IN 1849. HE ADDED 5 ACRES IN 1904, BUT HAD FAILING HEALTH AND SOLD 3 ACRES IN 1923 WITH OVER 60,000 PLANTS, LUTHER WAS A FRIEND WITH HENRY FORD AND ALBERT EINSTEIN. HE HAD NO CHILDREN. BURBANK WAS A SCIENTIST WHO DID NOT WANT TO DO FIELDWORK. HE HIRED MEXICANS AND INDIANS TO DO THE MAINTENANCE OF THIS RANCH AND FARM. HE LIVED IN SANTA ROSA AND IN 1885. HE CONDUCTED HIS PLANT BREEDING. HE SENT MAIL TO EUROPE TO GET SOME HYBRID SEEDLINGS DFOR THE RANCH. SOME CAMER BY MAIL ND WERE DEAD. SO HE HAD TO RESEND FOR THEM. HE COLLECTED MISTLETOE WHICH HAS BEEN USED FOR CURING CANCER. HIS GOAL WAS TO INCREASE THE THE WORLD'S FOO SUPPLY. HE CUT DOWN THE OAKS IN ORDER TO PLANT HIS HYBRIDERS.HE COLLECTED A VARIETY OF WALNUTS AND CHESTNUTS. HE DIED IN 1926 AND HIS WIFE DONATED THE FAMED 15 ACRES TO SEBASTOPOL AREA HOUSING CORPORATION TO BUILD LOW INCOME SENIOR AND DISABLED HOUSING UNITS. THE FARM IS ADMINISTERED BY THE SONOMA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY VOLUNTEERS. THEY BUILT A NICE FOOTPATH WITH A NUMBER OF TREES. THEY ACTUALLY CUT DOWN THE OAKS SO HE COULD HAVE MORE ROOM TO PLANT HIS HYBRIDS. VISITORS CAN ALSO BUY SOME GRASSES AND SOME OTHER SMALL PLANTS.