The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-29

life of the world is studied and expert
mented with, in order to ascertain the
causes and cures of diseases peculiar
to them; just as the human body is
Experimental upon by the students of
medicine in the study of the diseases
of man.
This division is probably the largest
organization of it's kind in the world
devoted exclusively to the study of the
physiology of plants and other condi-
tons of plant life says Mr.. Albert F.
Wood, of that division. 1--WE have the
main laboratory connected with our
work located in Washington, but we
have special laboratories in Santa
Ana, Cal, to study the diseases of
plants in the Pacific coast states, which
are different in many respects from the
conditions of plants in any other part
of the country, owing to the peculiar
climatic conditions of that region. We
have one of our experts located there
constantly, and he spends his entire
time in studying the proba abilities of
that section.
1--WE have another laboratory, or
rather one of our. men, stationed at
present at Lincoln, Neb., at the state
university, studying the diseases and
culture of the small grains, such as
wheat, oats, rye etc. This man is sent
to Lincoln because it 1s centrally To-
Gated for the great region in which
those plants are most extensively Gull
tiYated.
For the last six years or more we
have had two of our assistants located
at Eustis, Florida, where they have
been giving special attention to the
study of the cultivation and the dis
eases of the citrus fruits, the orange,
lemon, lime, pineapple and other sub
tropical and tropical fruits.
1T has been the aim of the men
stationed at these places to study not
only the diseases and cultivation of
the fruits of the respective regions in
which they are located, but also to
study with care the conditions and the
demands of the regions and the posi-
bility of the introduction of any new
fruits, and to the breeding of varieties
suited to the conditions. For example,
in California the division has been
studying the various varieties of grapes
and has been breeding varieties that
are strong enough to resist the dis
eases which are common on the Pacific
coast. The California vine disease is
found nowhere else in the country, and
also a disease known as colure.
I'm Florida the division has been
breeding new varieties of orange and
lemon, with special reference to in
creasing not only the high quality of
the fruit, but in getting trees which
will be resistant to rot, blight and
other diseases. The same thing is be-
ing done with the pine apple, and in
our green houses in the department
grounds here we have several patches
of pine apple seedlings which we are
raising and which will be distributed
next year. This is the first experiment
on a large scale that has ever been
tried, and it has every indication of
success. We hope to obtain from these
plants some high grade varieties of
pineapple, which will be especially suit
ed to the sub-tropical portions of our
country, and which will be resistant tn
some of the worst diseases affecting
that crop.
'The above are simply samples of the
line of work which the division of vege-
table physiology and pathology is TAX
ing up. Plant breeding is being car
ried on with special efforts to obtain
high grade commercially; that is,
plants especially suited to various eli
matte soil and other conditions of the
different sections of the country.
These various lines of work inf
course, demand especial physiological
studies in many instances, just as the
doctor has to study the physiology of
man to determine a disease in the
human body, and these are being car
ried on as far as time and the force of
the division permits.
Another line of work Of this divi-
sion, which is Of great interest to those
engaged in the more extensive lines
of horticultural work, such as floricul-
ture, is the forcing of vegetation under
glass The division is giving especial
attention to investigation connected
with the feeding of plants and also to
the diseases of plants grown under
glass. We have in our green houses,
numbers Of plants that are diseased
and others that are perfectly healthy,