The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-05-06
puIuth FIaN.
CANCER IN PLANTS.

in press bulletin entitled Crown Gall.
Its Cause and Remedy, which promises
not only to revolutionize present views
respecting the nature Of various over
growths in plants. but also to throw
light on the cancer problem in men and
animals
This bulletin deals with a widely
distributed and harmful disease Of or
chard trees and other plants. This dis
ease is commonly known in the United
States as crown gall, but 1t 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 supposit1on
that 1t 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 il was
not due to any organism. The expert
ments detailed in the bulletin show
clearly that the gall is due to bacteria
and is infectious, being readily trans
mitted not only from plant to plant
of the same kind, but also to many
plants of widely different families.
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 like
( ly 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
1 As1y, L. T.
| ious states be continued and enforced.
| 1t shows what plants 1t is not advisable
TO use as crop following a CALLED
one. 1t describes the life history and
cultural characters Of the organism in
| volved, points out the difficulties
| through which it was isolated and
| identified, gives numerous illustrations
showing the nature Of the tumors pro-
duced and the time involved In their
production when pure cultures OF the
organism were used, shows that the
organism has a 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 tu-
mors.
| The cause of cancer Is unknown and
a majority of animal Psychologists at the
present time are inclined to regard 1t
as non-parasitic, chiefly, however, be-
cause no parasite has been found. The
bulletin shows that similar argument
might have been advanced with equal
force some years ago against the para
site 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 IL Is extremely
probable that micro organisms Of some
sort are also the melting cause of sar-
coma and carcinoma. Tubercule dis
eases occur in plants as well as in ami
mails and specifically they resemble
these growths, but not structuraliy nor
in the groupings of the parasite.
The bacteria causing these plant tu-
mors are not abundant in the tissues
sometimes very rare; are hard to see
and difficult to stain; they perish read
lily both in the tumor and In culture
media; are difficult to cultivate from
the tissues unless one knows the tech
nique; do not form abscess cavities
after the manner Of the tubercule dis
eases, but multiply in limited number
within the tissues and APPARENTLY only
inside the cells which their presence
stimulates into rapid division. The
disease metastasizes readily, and or
this account is cut out with difiiculty
The organism loses virulence easily
both inside the tumors and in culture
media, and finally II the plants are mo-
destroyed by it they seem to acquir,
a partial or complete immunity.
The bulletin should not only be. 81
very great Importance to the orchard
list and grower of dollhouse plants, bu
! also to all specialists who are inter.
ested in the cancer problem, inasmucT
as in the present uncertain state o
research on that disease any clu.
whatsoever becomes OF Importance. I
is not claimed that the organism her,
described is itself the cause OF maIig
, nant animal tumors. but only that ii
many respects the growths produces
by 1t are suggestive of malignant ami
NAL tumors, and that probably som,
similar parasite lies at the bottom o
the malignant phenomena OF sucI
growths. The bulletin involves team
work done by four people In the de
partment Of agriculture, covering
period Of six years, and the total mum
Der Of experiments involved amount
to thousands.
| A =