Quality . . . Purity . . . and . . . Selection 
cPfonox to a ^^X£.at ^J-^dant IS XS-eJ-ZX 
To Him the Cantaloupe Industry Owes a Debt of Gratitude 
THE LATE DR. IVAN C. JAGGER’S SPLENDID ACCOMPLISHMENT 
OF UNUSUAL MERIT 
In the annals of American argiculture 
are many sagas testifying to the dili¬ 
gence and the intelligence of the farmer 
himself and of the experimental workers. 
The development of new varieties and 
strains of vegetables and the improve¬ 
ment of old standbys of the seed catalog 
has steadily advanced year after year. 
We look with a feeling of awe at the 
work of Luther Burbank. We see in his 
accomplishments a fulfillment of the 
true purpose of man here on Earth— 
his continual endeavors to make this a 
better place in which to live. Luther 
Burbank took that which was given to 
him and made it better. Thereby he per¬ 
formed a service of inestimable value to 
his fellow man. 
There worked, in season past, a fellow 
inquirer into the mysteries of Nature, 
who, like many others of his retiring 
nature, has never been given the promi¬ 
nence due him for his accomplishments. 
He never asked nor desired the lime¬ 
light. He was one who did his work well 
and felt that the feeling of satisfaction 
of having done a difficult job was suffic¬ 
ient reward for any man. Laboring sea¬ 
son after season, making cross after 
cross, gathering seed from every land, 
he did not lose sight of his goal despite 
eight years of unsuccessful endeavor. 
Finally such knowledge and persistence 
could not be denied. In 1934 there was 
found a melon that had the characteris¬ 
tics desired. In that year was released 
the Powdery Mildew Resistant No. 45 
cantaloupe. In that year, Dr. Ivan C. 
dagger had culminated nine years of 
patient, untiring, unspectacular effort. 
Certainly no work with cantaloupes 
had ever been as important as this of Dr. 
dagger’s. Probably no work of any plant 
breeder had ever had as important a re¬ 
sult, for this work had added a valuable 
new cantaloupe to the known varieties, 
and more than this it had saved the 
cantaloupe industry in at least one sec¬ 
tion and gave it new life in several 
others. 
Powdery mildew had infected the can¬ 
taloupe fields of Southern California 
to such an extent that it was thought 
for a time that that crop would have to 
be abandoned in that locality. To Dr. 
dagger was given the task of developing 
a cantaloupe that would save the indus¬ 
try by being resistant to the disease. 
Dr. dagger quietly set abput this tre¬ 
mendous task. He gathered together 
thousands of varieties and strains of can¬ 
taloupes from all parts of the world. 
Without fanfare he went to work. He 
realized the magnitude of the job before 
him, and he realized its importance. But 
to him the honors or the monetary re¬ 
turns from its accomplishments meant 
little. To him Nature and his fellow man 
had presented a problem—a problem 
that he would work unceasingly to solve. 
And solve it he did. He lived to see the 
accomplishment of his end and to see the 
cantaloupe industry in Southern Califor¬ 
nia take on new life. The work that he 
had done was the equal of that done by 
any of his great predecessors in the field 
of plant breeding. 
DR. JAGGER’S WORK IS BEING CONTINUED 
BY OTHERS 
Nature, however, is never satisfied. As 
soon as one natural problem is solved an¬ 
other presents itself. Within a few sea¬ 
sons after the Mildew Resistant No, 45 
was introduced. Nature attacked this 
cantaloupe with a new form of mildew. 
Dr. dagger lived only long enough to 
realize that the work was not yet done, 
but he had laid the foundation for this 
advanced research. Others must now 
carry it on. His able assistant Di*. 
Thomas W. Whitaker is now engaged in 
this work. Having been fortunate enough 
to have the privilege of working with Dr. 
dagger. Dr. Whitaker is now able to pick 
up the working tools and carry on this 
important work. This season Dr. Whita¬ 
ker is releasing another mildew resistant 
strain to be used in fighting the disease. 
It has been our good fortune to assist 
Vage Four 
