The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-31
A HOSPITAL FOR PLANTS.
How the Department of Agriculture
Studies Pests,

WASHINGTON CRY, May 25.- Especial
Correspondence. - Professor Galloway,
chief of the division of vegetable path
ology in the department of agriculture,
expects shortly TO receive from India an
assortment of coffee plants affected by
what is known in that country as coffee
disease" This trouble causes loss of
$40, 600. 900 yearly, and no means have yet
been discovered for contending success
fully against it. 1t is hoped by the
authorities who send the plants to Pro-
fessor Galloway that he will be able to find
out some way in which the trouble may be
overcome. The specimens will be shipped
in boxes with glass covers, such as are ex-
pressly made for the purpose. with provis-
ion for maintaining a condition OF moist
ure inside. Upon receiving them, Profess
sor Galloway will set aside ward for them
in the hospital for plants which he con-
ducts.
The first thing necessary will be to find
out precisely what enemy is attacking the
coffee plants and causing their disease.
To do this, Professor Galloway will
take scrap of one of the rotted
leaves and chop it up in q saucer
of distilled water. Then he will
take drop of the water, which has thus
become fIlled with the germs of the
complaint and let it fall into a tube con-
tanning small quantity of gelatine that
has been steriliZed by boiling. The germs
will feed upon the gelatine and multiply
rapidly, so that he will have quite good
sized patch of them within twenty-four
hours. Meanwhile he will have grown in
section by themselves number of
healthy coffee plants, and these
he will inoculate by rubbing
upon their leaves some of the
germs thus propagated. If thereupon
the coffee disease is reproduced, he will
have discovered the foe sought, and it will
only remain to find out the life history of
the destroyer, with a view to learning
what means had best be taken for COM
batting it. There is no doubt that the
enemy is some sort of fungus allied TO
wheat rust; but there exists about $1,000
different kinds of parasitic fungi that prey
upon plants, so that there IS considerable
room for selection.
A new disease has recently attacked the
oats in this country, so that last year the
crop was largely failure everywhere east
of the Mississippi river. In Pennsyl-
vania and New York it was almost total
less than for many years, although the
acreage planted was greater than ever be-
fore. When the plants were from four 10
six inches high their leaves turned red
and died; no head was formed and no
seed developed usually. Thus it happens
that the market price of oats at
present is about twice what il is
ordinarily, which is very hard upon
the horses as well as upon their owners.
Farmers in various states have appealed
to the department of agriculture for help,
and an investigation has been made which
has brought about the discovery that the
complaint in this case is caused not by q
lately It was not known that bacteria ever
attacked plants, but Professor Galloway
has made some very interesting cultures
on gelatine of the variety responsible IN
this instance. In fact, the tissues of the
oat leaves were found to be actually
swarming with these minute organisms,
which bored into them and ate them up.
Theory in the matter was reduced 10 GER
tainty by experiment in the greenhouse
hospital.
Ordinarily, where fungi are concerned,
it is practicable TO destroy them by spray
ing with solutions of sUlphate of copper
and other mixtures, but in this instance
such method of treatment was not
applicable because IL is not possible 70 go
about with spraying apparatus in field
of oats. and the expense of the treatment
would be too great anyway. 1t was found
that the seed produced in the infected dis
tricts was covered with the bacteria, and It
is feared that the planting of it this
season will result In bringing up a
diseased crop for the present year. There
fore Ii has been recommended that farmers
shall procure all their seed oats from
Michigan or other portions OF the country
in which the trouble has not vet appeared.
With this precaution il is hoped that the
misfortune may be avoided, bu. 1t Is not
vet known how the remedy will work.
Meantime trial is being made of the
bacteria-covered seed in the plant
! hospital according 10 various methods of
treatment. Some growers thought the
disease was rendered so greatly destructive
| by excessive rainfall; others elsewhere
were of the opinion that II was aggravated
by drought. So some OF the experimental
oats are being overwatered and others
starved for water, 10 see if either has any
thing TO do with the matter.
OF course il Is necessary that the wards
in Professor Galloway's hospital for plants
shall be carefully separated from each
other in order that infection shall not be
conveyed from one division 10 another.
| The object being 70 study one complaint
at time, the purpose in view would be
| interfered with by the communica-
ton of indiscriminate diseases. So
the greenhouse is partitioned Of,
| keeping each set of vegetable pa
tients by themselves. One. group IN
| various progressive stages Of 8 fungus
raalady is quarantined under glass box,
| others have private quarters for their
| accommodations beneath beil-glasses. and
so on Usually hospital is utilized for
| curing its sick inmates. bat in this one the
| resident physician makes il his business
| 70 render his victims sick 2rtihciallv.
/ and when they die he burns their
| corpses. Ii he simply threw ont the
/ defunct, they would be very apt 70 propa-
| gate the troubles which caused their de-
| mise in the nelghborhood. A number of
| agents in various sections OF the country
! devote their attention entirely 10 travelling
| about and collecting specimens of plants
/ suffering from all sorts Of physical de-
| engagements for sending 10 Professor Gal
| loway. RENE BACHE
| In the Way.
Chicago Tribune.
Miss Ksjones was doing her best TO en-
~