Woodbury High School - Warrior Yearbook (Woodbury, CT)

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alone. He has bred plants for beauty, hardiness, and adaptation, size, quick growth, better food, new food, color, perfume, quality, quantity, and other numerous factors. At the time of his death, Burbank had over 3,000 experiments under way, and was growing over 5,000 distinct botanical specimens of plants from many parts of the world. He carried on this work on an enormous scale, and each year raised over one million plants for testing purposes. Some of Burbank’s important experiments include: The development of pitless plums and prunes; a new potato; an entirely new fruit: the plumcot; two entirely new berries: the Phenomenal” and the Primus” berry; a thornless, edible cactus plant; two new fast growing forest trees; frost resisting fruit trees; the improvement of several species of flowers; and new and improved varieties of pears, apples, quinces, peaches, apricots, walnuts, chestnuts, and berries. Burbank’s principle of work was: How may the greatest good be done to the greatest number of people? His experiments were the forerunners of all the agricultural experiments which deal with horticulture. He had to form his own laws and theories in regard to cross breeding and hybridization of different varieties of plants. He showed the fallacies of old laws established by other people who worked on a minor scale, and established new laws of his own. Burbank was a special lecturer at Leland Stanford, Jr. University, and a member of many scientific and horticultural societies in the U. S. and Europe. His death removed from active service one of the greatest benefactors of humanity that the world has ever known. CLASS HISTORY Elizabeth Dana Martin Our class had twenty-seven members when we began school as Freshmen one September morning in 1929. No one can remember whether the weather was rainy, or sunny, as it is on most first days. Our teachers were Miss Clark, Miss Sweet, Mr. Munsell, Mr. Clark and Mr. Coombs, our Principal. Miss Clark started teaching Latin to three of us, all girls. We were soon joined by three others who thought the story we were reading sounded interesting. Miss Sweet soon expressed a desire to spank some of us, but we never heard that she satisfied her longing. Mr. Clark began teaching some of the boys how to be successful farmers. Mr. Coombs taught us Algebra and what pains we did have that year. We laid them to the Math, but perhaps they were growing pains. We elected our class officers: President, Helen Belz; Vice-President, Maude Eyre; Secretary, Irene Hoyt; Treasurer, Raynall Coley. These officers were very satisfactory, although there was not much for them to do, due to the fact that our class did not seem socially inclined during our Freshman year. Before the end of the year we lost two members, John Armon and Frank Marino. We started our Sophomore year with twenty-three members. We had lost three more at the end of our Freshman year: John Gudzunas, David Perilman and Ruth Smith; but Russell Coburn returned from Rhode Island and David Apple-ton came from Indiana. Our teachers were Miss Clark, Miss Sweet, Miss Jagger, Mr. Coombs and Mr. Clark. Miss Jagger took the place of Mr. Munsell who had accepted a position at Stores. She left us in the middle of the year because of illness. Miss Lois Harvey was our substitute teacher until Miss Brucker came. On Valentine’s Day our English teacher, Miss Sweet, became Mrs. Coombs, by marrying our Principal. We elected our class officers for that year— President, Russell Coburn; Vice-President, Stanley Lusas; Secretary, Maude Eyre; Treasurer, Sigurd Lovdal. We planned to have a sleighing party or a skating party that winter but the weather always changed on the day which we had designated. When the class ring salesman came Maude Eyre and Russell Coburn selected five rings. We voted on the ring we wished and Russell Coburn, Raynall Coley and Margaret Smith were chosen as a committee to select the colors for them. Helen Belz, because of illness in her home, missed about a month of school in the spring. Arthur Wight left us, preferring farm work. Edward Gilbert and Robert Smith also left. On March 4th and 5th our class was represented by Russell Coburn in the Senior play, The Worm.” The Glee Club gave a concert. The last two classes who have graduated have claimed that the success of the whole affair was due to the representatives of their classes who sang in the Page Fourteen

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rate. The British and Dutch finally sold the accumulated rubber at a very low price. Canadians, later, tried a similiar experiment with wheat with the same results. Our own Farm Board in guaranteeing to the farmers a certain price for their wheat have only encouraged the farmer to raise more wheat and increase the surplus which in turn decreased the price. This raised the amount that the Farm Board had to pay to the farmer, and took money from other classes of society to keep farmers producing a commodity for which there was less and less need. Insurance will not prevent depressions any more than it will prevent fires, accidents or death; it merely distributes the losses evenly so that they do not affect any one person too severely. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the Farm Board may act as insurance companies but they may become merely devices by which the government keeps financially unsound corporations and industries in business at its own expense. Work, such as reforestation, conservation of natural resources, and a public building program may help in times of depression, providing it is creative work. That is, if it is work that would have to be done at some time later, and the wealth produced supplies a real and permanent demand. Shorter working hours may help to distribute labor among the unemployed, but if the hours are too short the employee will not produce enough wealth to get paid enough wages to support himself. The prevention of depressions, therefore, is quite remote. If we would but realize the inevitable workings of the law of supply and demand and realize that the main cause of our economic difficulties is the fundamental weakness of human nature, we would go a long way towards solving our problems. If we are going to prevent anything from happening, we must first remove the causes. When the same amount of intelligence is applied to problems of economics as has been applied to medicine or the other sciences then we may hope for a solution of our present problems. Until that time the best thing we can do is to prevent ourselves from being deluded by false hopes. - SALUTATORY ADDRESS Sigurd Lovdal Luther Burbank Luther Burbank was the first man who devoted a whole lifetime to the production of entirely new plants and fruits, and the improvement of older varieties. In his work of horticulture he reigns supreme, for no man had, up to the time Burbank began his work, dreamed of doing what Burbank has accomplished. To the study and improvement of plants, Burbank is what Faraday is to electricity. Leading scientists and biologists of the day claimed that no new species of plant could be formed, but Burbank defiantly contradicted these statements by producing several entirely new species of trees, berries, and fruits which had n-ver been seen by man. He did this by successfully cross pollinating different species of plants. (Hybridization.) Luther Burbank was born in Lancaster, Mass., March 7, 1849. From Scotch ancestry on his mother’s side, he developed an ardent love for flowers, and from English ancestry on his father’s side, he developed an intense love for learning. However, as his parents were poor, he had to work at an early age, and could only attend a nearby academy for a few months each year. While he was working in a factory, Burbank invented a machine which did away with the work of s;x men. He could have become an inventor, but, disregarding the advice of friends, he started a truck gardening and seed raising farm. While working in this garden, he discovered and planted a potato seedball. From the seedball came the famous Burbank potato, which saved the world millions of dollars, because at that time a potato famine was at hand. The discovery of this potato greatly inspired Burbank to take up the work of horticulture. When Burbank was twenty-five years old, he moved to Santa Rosa. California, where he started a nursery. In a few years, when this nursery was netting him $ 10,000.00 a year, he decided to give it up and devote all his time toward the improvement and establishment of new plants, for the benefit of mankind. It was at this experimental farm in Santa Rosa that he has conducted wonderful experiments in the improvement of plant life. He has aided nature in doing what she could not accomplish Page Thirteen

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concert. Perhaps we had better not try to claim the honor, since there are already two contestants for it. Anyway, several members of our class took part. They were: Maude Eyre, Candace Thompson, Elizabeth Martin, David Appleton and Raynall Coley. The Junior year we had seventeen members. F our failed to return: Rabert Fumire, because of the illness of his father; Irene Hoyt, moved away; David Appleton, because of illness; Russell Coburn because he joined the class of ’32, and Robert Weasa, married. During the year we also lost Elizabeth Booth. We had one new member, Willard Boiney. Our teachers were; Miss Clark, Mrs. Coombs, Miss Brucker, Mr. Clark and Mr. Coombs. About the first of November Miss Brucker left to take a better position in her home town. Miss Scott took Miss Brucker’s place. We held a class meeting and elected our officers—President, Raynall Coley; Vice-President, Margaret Smith; Treasurer, Stanley Lusas; Secretary. Helen Belz. During the year we purchased our class rings. In May we gave our first class social. On the 19th and 20th of November certain members of our class took part in the Operetta, Bits O’ Blarney.” They were: Raynall Coley, Frank Matula, Maude Eyre, Candace Thompson and Elizabeth Martin. Willard Boiney and Raynall Coley were members of the Harmonica Band” which played between acts. Raynall Coley helped design and paint the scenery. During this year some of the boys became interested in track, basketball and baseball. Some of the girls also developed into basketball stars. Two of our class impersonated sen’c-s at the Class Day Exercises. Harry Hull as Henry Can-field and Willard Boiney as Oscar Lovdal. James Rowley was Marshall for the Class of ’32. The last social event of the year was a Prom given by the Class of ’32 and the Class of ’33.The Juniors on the Prom Committee were Margaret Smith, Raynall Coley. Maude Eyre and Willard Boiney. We started with fourteen in our class our Senior year, having lost James Rowley and George Coad. After about a month we lost Willard Boin-y who moved away. We all worked and managed to pass our Mid-year exams. And, speaking of working—throughout the four years some of our class members had been striving to see who should stand highest on the honor roll. These members were, Stanley Lusas, Sigurd Lovdal, John Gudzunas (who left us at the end of our Freshman year., evidently not on account of a lack of ability to keep up), Russell Coburn ,'who graduated last year), Helen Belz, Maude Eyre and Elizabeth Martin. Our teachers were Miss Clark, Mrs. Coombs, Mr. Clark, Mr. Coombs and Mr. Knox. Mr. Knox had begun with us in September and as the months went on we had learned to admire and respect his ability and industry. On the third of April we had a new English teacher, Miss Mer-win, to take Mrs. Coombs’ place. The class officers were: President. Harry Hull; Vive-President, Raynall Coley; Treasurer, Margaret Smith; Secretary, Elizabeth Martin. Helen Belz was absent about a month because of an operation for appendicitis. In the fall, several of our members took part in the Operetta The Fire-Prince.” They were: Raynall Coley, Maude Eyre, Robert Fray, Stanley Lusas, Robert Abbott, Frank Matula, Elizabeth Martin and Margaret Smith. Raynall Coley, Robert Abbott and Elizabeth Martin painted the scenery. On March 21st we went to have our pictures taken and although we later had many candidates for the best looking people in the class, the camera failed to make any queer noises that day. During Christmas vacation we gave a dance which was quite a success considering how little practice we had had. Tonight we commence a new period of our lives. We shall again be making history which we hope will be a credit to our training. CLASS GIFTS Frank Matula—Robert Fray To Harry Hull, we give Major Cambell’s racer, so that he may be able to make better time. To Oscar Johnson, we give this set of Farm Implements to give him a start in life as a successful farmer. To Raynall Coley, we give this book of alibis to refer to in case of necessity. To Sigurd Lovdal, we give this book on how to overcome bashfulness. To Robert Abbott, we give this book on how to become a gardener in his spare moments. To Stanley Lusas, we give this book on how to dance, so that he may dance with the co-eds at college. To Maude Eyre, our class baby, we give this bar of castile soap to preserve her baby complexion. To Helen Belz, we give this book of humor, so that she may see the bright side of life. To Candace Thompson, we give this music box, so that she may always have music. To Margaret Smith, we give this car, so that when one of her boy friends breaks a date she won’t have to walk. To Elizabeth Martin, we give this sewing basket, so that she will not be getting into mischief | when she goes away to college. Page Fifteen