Arizona republican., 1912-06-10
THIS COUNTRY
 HAS B|G JOB
Plant Doctor and the Many Difficult Gases He Han dies in Caring for the Health and Well Being of Plants.

NASHINGTON. D. C.. June 9.- There are some fifty associated play ~icians with headquarters in Wash mgton who undoubtedly enjoy the largest practice in the world None of the patients. however, pay any Ices The physicians are the plant doctors employed by the government to guard against and eradicate the l.tvages of disease among plants with in the borders Of the United States In addition to the big pathological laboratory in Washington. the gov esnnent maintains thirtY-itNe field stations OF plant hospitals scattered through the country each with its physician in charge and corps of nurses.
 The bureau of plant industry of The department of agriculture. under which this work is conducted, spends S34U.00G year in protecting the health of our plants. IL IS estimated that this activity results iG a saving Of S4O.000, ,o00 |. year in our fields and l1rests. Probably this estimate is loo conservative. but il jE sufficient to indicate that the plant doctors p3v The annual losses in the whole country from plant diseasr amounts |. cpr ards of half d billion dollars a veal
 The ordinat, family rhv~iciau with a tally of fifty human patients of various ages apparently enjoys ,sr.'aratise'> >nIlc professional eN- t.t-nCc comI-red with te plant doctor who is compelled to u2lt suck di- erec patients as chestnut ue,- pota- tees. wheat. cotton and pears More 7rev. though fo the uni.iti5tcd most l51rtS and trees appear to b. n.althy, the fact is tzat they ar- just a~ Sus eeptihIe to c"Ltaeion rnl .S much exposed to the attacks rr hostile serms and parasites os arr human Icing or os-e1 animals Th, root. >'.m. leaf. flower. fruit. lark and wood veins a~e all subject ., disease. ants become the prev ?. fungi bac- t.'ia. slime m,lds and f "taei flow -rue plants a. well as o. ia-.. t~ auJ .aimids Os fungi a.n tLnr a." fuut lO0GuQ known varic.ics And 1a.. plqnt k constant. m,u"Ced by uatarH phenomena such aS drought, heat wind nail. Iighmr4. irost sIacse ana sun scalds E. i., obvious futm this tl1t the plant C .Ctsr has na easy char professls ;.
 !"aut diseases become ,riGemic Iom time 90 tme and sweep through d country causing terribi" mortality ;faong certain growing things and sometimes completely destroying great agricultural industries. Before 1870 Ccylon coffee was known for ;ts .eN- c..iance throt -hout the ua~tC. Coffee plantations I.rmed the priu' pal bus mess of the island. Bu' pestience --u.k the r, flee pa-ts onu wiped mem oct ia fften years. causing q Isss of S75.3"0. .0oo Not pound of coffee has since been gr,vu or Cey- ..n.
 sometimes the plant p.sthentes are .he direct cause of the 'jss of thou anis of human lives. as 5n 'Iic great Iusn famine. which was directly due |, a disease which swept the potato fields and destroyed the tuners
 In the TuItsH States We na.e som, sort of plt,: pestilenre every few y.s.rs Tn 1SS5 an epidemic of wheat lu.t caused damage oi >LG75.3,0 in the state or Illinois The California vine disease wrought $10,0rG. Goo worth or destruction in 1S9- | throughout .ne United States the wheat ruS, pes ..f,use damaged the crop .' the tune ct $S7.O00.o0e in 1S9S. Violet leaf spot cost us $l00.O in 1900 and in the