Judge — April 3, 1926 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a chaotic, fantastical garden scene mocking amateur horticulturists. The title references Luther Burbank, the famous botanist/plant breeder, suggesting these are bumbling amateurs attempting his work. The scene shows gardeners surrounded by absurd hybrid plants, strange creatures, and bizarre contraptions. Musical notes, milk weeds, and other labeled oddities suggest failed agricultural experiments. The surreal composition—with figures performing unconventional gardening methods—ridicules both the pretensions of amateur plant enthusiasts and perhaps early 20th-century fascination with scientific experimentation. The "unconventional conventions" framing suggests this mocks people who reject traditional gardening practices in favor of dubious amateur science. The artist is Forbell (signature visible).