The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-20
CANCER IN PLANTS.

According to circular just issued by
it, the federal department of agricul-
ture has in press a bulletin entitled
Grown Gall: Its Cause and Remedy,
which promises not only to revolution
ize present views respecting the nature
of various overgrowths in plants, but
also to throw light on the cancer prob
lem in men and animals. This bulle-
tin deals with a widely distributed and
harmful disease of orchard trees and
other plants. This disease is common
w known in the United States as
crown gall, but it may occur not only
on the crown of plants, but on roots
and shoots. The disease has been
known for a long time. and under the
supposition that it was infectious and
injurious various states have made
quarantine laws against it. The disease
has been ascribed to various causes,
without satisfactory proof, and many
persons have been led to believe that
it was not due to any organism. The
experiments detailed in the bulletin
show clearly that the gall is due 20
bacteria and is infectious, being read
ily transmitted not only from plant to
plant of the same kind, but also to
many plants of widely differently fam
lilies. The bulletin shows that the
growth is not only of itself injurious to
the plant, but also may form an open
wound through which other parasites
are likely to enter, such as the fungus
of root rot, and the bacteria which
cause blight of apples and pears.
The bulletin recommends that the in
spection laws now in force in the vari
Gus states be continued and enforced.
1t shows what plants it is not advis-
able to use as a crop following a
CALLED one. 1t describes the life his
tory and cultural characters of the
organism involved, points out the diff
ficulties through which it was isolated
and identified, gives numerous illustra-
tions showing the nature of the tumors
produced and the time involved in
their production when pure cultures of
the organism were used. shows thar
the organism has wide range of host
plants, and that the overgrowths pro-
duced are in many ways anatomically
and otherwise strikingly like those
found In certain malignant animal
tumors. The cause of cancer is un-
known and a majority of animal
pathologists at the present time are in
clined to regard it as nonparasitic,
chiefly, however, because no parasite
has been found. The bulletin shows
that a similar argument might have
been advanced with equal force some
years ago against the parasitic nature
of crown gall. No good reason can be
adduced why cancers should not occur
in plants as we'll as in animals, and if
these plant growths are truly cancers
then it is extremely probable that
micro organisms of some sort are also
the melting cause in sarcoma and
carcinoma. Tubercule diseases occur
in plants as well as in animals and
specifically they resemble these
growths. but not structurally nor in
the groupings of the parasite. The
bacteria causing these plant tumors
are not abundant in the tissues, some
times very rare; are hard to see and
difficult to stain; they perish readily
both in the tumoT and in culture
media: are difficult to cultivate from
the tissues unless one knows the
technique; do not form ahscess cavities
after the manner of the tubercle dis