— Plants and A FTER all the years and all the millions 



the Ailments ** of dollars that have been spent in try- 



of Man" ing to fathom and solve the terrible problem 



of human cancer, it would be strange if the 

 clues upon which ultimate solution hangs were supplied by the study 

 of disease in plants! Yet such a development appears entirely 

 probable when we summarize the results of certain lines of investiga- 

 tion in plant pathology — or when we have such a summary set be- 

 fore us as a recent issue of the Missouri Botanical Garden Bulletin 

 furnishes. Here it is explained that different experiments with 

 gall- or tumor-producing diseases, dating back some fifty years and 

 receiving during that time the attention of some of our leading 

 pathological botanists, have proved that different kinds of galls, 

 knots and tumors in more than a score of plants are caused by the 

 same disease, or rather that the different diseases causing the galls 

 are all produced by one bacterial organism. Included under this 

 grouping are the crown galls of the Marguerite, Chrysanthemum, 

 apple, cotton, Rose, peach, etc., the tobacco knot, the underground 

 gall on the grape, the stem gall on the quince, etc. The great sim- 

 ilarity between crown gall of plants and malignant cancer of human 

 beings has been pointed out by Dr. E. F. Smith upon several grounds, 

 some technical, others clear even to the layman. Since all the plant 

 cancers studied have been found to be the result of a single organism, 

 Dr. Smith contends that all animal cancers are probably similarly 

 caused by one bacterium. And upon this assumption it seems justi- 

 fiable to hope that with the discovery of a cure, preventive, or ameli- 

 orant for malignant maladies in plants will come a fuller under- 

 standing and an early conquering of similar afflictions of the human 

 family. It was over a quarter of a century ago the present com- 

 mentator recalls that C. B. Plowright, a medical doctor, discussed 

 this general idea in a series of lectures before the Royal College of 

 Physicians and Surgeons in London. 



— Lawn 

 Troubles" 



THE development of the accurately 

 named "brown patches" on lawns is 

 a far from uncommon trouble in moist, 

 warm seasons — of which the past summer 

 was a noteworthy example. Appearing first as small, dusty 

 looking spots of mildew scattered over the greensward, these grad- 

 ually grow and merge into larger areas in which a dead, brownish 

 condition develops, at first in the centre, and then extending out- 

 ward in all directions. Fortunately the fungus that causes the 

 disease is rarely fatal, most affected lawns returning to their original 

 condition with the coming of cool fall weather. Nevertheless con- 

 siderable patches of grass are sometimes killed outright, and the 

 effects of the mildew, even though temporary, are sufficiently dis- 

 figuring to make their cure and prevention much to be desired. As 

 with many visitations, prevention. is by far the most effective mode 

 of warfare. This means first, measures tending to prevent the ac- 

 cumulation of excessive moisture, such as thorough surface and un- 

 der drainage when making the lawn and the practise of watering 

 early in the morning in midsummer so that the turf may be as dry 

 as possible during the hot, muggy nights; and second, the use of 

 grasses and other turf plants that have been found most resistant 

 to the brown patch fungus. Bermuda-grass in the South and Blue- 

 grass and White Clover in the North belong in this category; but as 

 these are not the most suitable for certain purposes — such as the 

 making of putting greens — agricultural specialists are hoping and 

 working to produce highly resistant strains of others more satis- 

 factory, such as the Fescues, Bents, etc. Where a mixture of several 



species does not detract from the appearance or the usefulness of a 

 greensward, it is found more resistant than a solid planting of one 

 kind. The high susceptibility of the Mouse-eared Chickweed or 

 "Creeping Charlie" is an added reason for making every effort to rid 

 a lawn of this pestiferous weed. In the realm of actual cures, 

 bordeaux mixture appears to offer about the only hope at present, 

 and even that is not a permanent or definitely assured one. Natur- 

 ally its effect wears off as soon as new growth develops; also constant 

 repetition makes the cost of the treatment run up. However, in 

 many cases where an especially fine turf appears in danger of serious 

 disfigurement it' will pay to sprinkle it frequently with half-strength 

 bordeaux sufficiently to moisten all the foliage without soaking the 

 ground. About one gallon to ten square feet has been found a 

 generous allowance. Of course, the earlier this is done after the 

 appearance of the first "brown patches" the better. 



— Getting the 

 Most from the 

 Garden Tools" 



winter; but it may 



A FAVORITE example of prodigal waste- 

 fulness is the farmer who leaves his 

 plows and hay rakes and threshing machines 

 out in the fields over night and over 

 be possible that some of us gardeners 

 are almost as careless — proportionately of course — in our handl- 

 ing or mishandling of the tools we use. And then there is 

 the tendency to throw away an implement the moment it 

 suffers the least injury, on the ground that "it's cheaper to 

 buy a new one than to bother to fix it up." Probably that 

 was partially true once; but that day has gone by, and he 

 who would really help bring down the cost of living to-day 

 thinks thrice before he throws away the broken rake or the 

 mildly leaky hose — and on the third think sets about to mend it! 

 Rarely is such a task difficult; very often is it successful. Take, for 

 instance, the ubiquitous watering can. When it springs a leak, we 

 assume that it means a trip to the plumber and heaven only knows 

 how much fuss and delay before a tiny job of soldering can be done. 

 Yet how simple the solution suggested by a correspondent in the 

 English Garden. Thoroughly dry the tin around the hole, he says, 

 and paste over it two or three strips of ordinary surgeon's adhesive 

 tape — the kind that has to be warmed before it is applied. In the 

 case of a leak in the side or bottom of the can put the patches inside; 

 in the case of a leaky spout apply a strip, spirally wound, around the 

 spout. Afterward give the patch or bandage a coat of paint and 

 the job is done. 



— Bird Friends and 

 Bird Enemies 



NATURE lovers will perhaps be sur- 

 prised to learn that the shy, insect 

 and weed eating, meadow frequenting 

 bobolink is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 

 among birds. To the Northerner it shows only its friendly, useful 

 side, during spring and early summer; but to the Southerner, whom 

 it visits on its way south to its winter quarters beyond the Caribbean, 

 it presents another side even as it displays another, duller coat. 

 For in the South Atlantic States it is known and feared as the rice 

 or reed bird, the devourer of hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth 

 of rice every year. Moreover it is there a pest for which there is no 

 known preventive measure other than actual destruction. Where- 

 fore, the Secretary of Agriculture has recently amended the Federal 

 migratory bird law to permit the shooting of these birds under 

 restrictions and during certain seasons while on the rice fields or 

 migrating to them. 



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