Judge — September 2, 1922 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes Luther Burbank, the famous plant breeder, through a darkly comic visual pun. The image shows a bunch of grapes where each grape is replaced with a human face displaying angry or scowling expressions—a grotesque parody of his agricultural innovations. The title "Another Wonderful Graft" plays on double meaning: "graft" refers both to Burbank's horticultural grafting techniques and to political corruption (embezzlement). The "Dry" grapes reference appears to allude to Prohibition-era politics. The satire suggests that Burbank's celebrated scientific achievements, while impressive, are being cynically reframed as examples of questionable "graft"—implying his work serves corrupt or self-serving purposes rather than genuine public benefit. The angry faces suggest the bitter fruit of his efforts.