Halsted: Colors in Vegetable Fruits 



23 



in the stems, and abounds in many 

 allied genera as Datura, etc. 



A general breeding color scheme for 

 peppers, not at all inclusive, is as follows : 

 (1) orange-indirect, (2) orange-direct, 

 (3) red-indirect, (4) red-direct. This 

 does not embrace the characters for 

 amount of green in immature fruits; or 

 the presence of purple, that is a general 

 plant color; or those several modifica- 

 tions of red or orange that seem to be 

 associated with firmness of the flesh, 

 that is, a fruit with unusually long 

 vacant spaces is often pale, as compared 

 with the color of the solid fruits. 



It is noted that, broadly considered, 

 the tomato, eggplant and pepper have 

 red and yellow as the leading fruit colors. 

 With tomato and eggplant the skin- 

 color is a fundamental character in 

 breeding. In pepper several color fac- 

 tors are active before full maturity, and 

 in this it shows its close affinity to the 

 eggplant. The purple color is a plant 

 character that is most conspicuous in 

 table-mature eggplant, quite common 

 in young peppers and least evident in 

 the tomato, and is subject to a wide 

 range of expression, as influenced by the 

 environment. 



The Cause of Mongolian Imbecility 



One of the rarer forms of feeble- 

 mindedness, making up 3% or 4% of all 

 cases, is Mongolian imbecility, so-called 

 because those affected have a facial 

 appearance more or less remotely re- 

 sembHng that of the Mongolian races. 

 Mongolian imbecility has been gener- 

 ally believed to be due to something in 

 the condition of the mother, and not to 

 heredity. Dr. Charles Herrman, writ- 

 ing in the Archives of Pediatrics (July, 

 1917), points to the fact that of twins, 

 one may be a Mongolian imbecile and 



the other normal. "There is no posi- 

 tive evidence," he concludes, "that 

 worry, emotional shock, illness during 

 pregnancy, or congenital syphilis are 

 important or essential factors in the 

 causation of Mongolian imbecility. The 

 evidence that Mongolian imbecility is 

 a unit character and recessive, although 

 not conclusive, is certainly suggestive." 

 The evidence on which Dr. Herrman 

 relies, however, is very slender, and the 

 case must be considered still open. 



Introduction of Insect Pests to be Avoided 



While increased production of food 

 stuffs and the practice of war economies 

 is being constantly preached on every 

 side, there is another phase of the 

 problem which is not so generally dis- 

 cussed, but when once considered, is 

 found to be of vast import. This is the 

 prevention of the further introduction 

 of insect pests and plant diseases into 

 this country. The Massachusetts For- 

 estry Association in Bulletin 121 has 

 brought together some striking figures to 

 show the loss annually caused by those 

 pests and diseases which are already pres- 

 ent and makes the startling statement 

 that the Bureau of Entomology of the 

 Department of Agriculture has listed 

 over 3,000 more insects which are found 

 in foreign countries as pests and although 

 not yet introduced here may have to be 



contended with at any moment. It 

 appears that the insects which by a con- 

 servative estimate are costing the coun- 

 try $500,000,000 annually are but a 

 scattered vanguard of the myriads which 

 are ready to follow at the first oppor- 

 tunity. Undoubtedly the only possible 

 prophylactic measure is to enact such 

 legislation as will provide for keeping 

 these pests out by keeping diseased 

 importations out. It is not so much a 

 question of keeping the plants out as of 

 how the plants shall be brought in, but 

 without insects and diseases. Effec- 

 tive quarantining before the pest has 

 secured a foothold in this country would 

 do much to make the task of those who 

 are producing the food stuffs to win the 

 world war less heavv. 



