Evening star., 1914-04-05
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING

will be offered to prove that American
grown bulbs blossom earlier, with larger
and more beautiful flowers. than the So
called Dutch bulbs" the annual i'm
ports of which TO this country now
amount to more than 100000.
Experts believe that the major part
of the bulbs which are now purchased
from foreign growers can be produced
at home. Bulb culture. however. Is an
art to which Americans have never ap-
piled themselves seriously and which has
been monopolized almost entirely by the
people of Holland, southern France, Ber-
muda and Japan Most of the imported
bulbs come from Holland The govern
ment has at Bellngham. Wash, bulb
garden of ten acres. on which expert
ments have been going on for nearly
six years.
Several flower beds of Bellinsham tulip
bulbs have been planted this year IN
Washington alongside Of beds OF the Hot-
land tulip bulbs of the same variety IN
the past the American-grown oulos nave
Powered from seven to ten days carrier
than the imported bulbs. and officials OF
the Agricultural Department are ANXIOUS
to see Wnetner Ln1S year eApei ihiViieo
will have the same results.
The plant experts having the beds IN
charge were somewhat frightened a few
days ago when one of the tulip oeos
burst into bloom. This bed was planted
with foreign bulbs, and it was thought
at first that the results of past expert
ments had been reversed in this year
work 1t was learned, however, that a
steam pipe passed under the ground near
this bed and that the heating of the
soil was the thing which likely produced
earlier blossoming of the foreign bulbs
1t was learned, also, that there was a
likelihood of a mistake having been made
in marking the beds and that the early
blooming bulbs were American-grown
and not imported
The governments experts in charge OF
the bulb growing at the Bellingham gar
dens are P H. Dorsett and Peter Bis
set of the Office of foreign seed and
plant introduction OF the department.
The experiments with hyacinth, tulips,
crocus, narcissus and lilies have given
results which have been very encouras-
ing and thousands of people living in the
state of Washington and Oregon have
visited the Bellingham gardens Florists
in all parts of the country have shown
a keen interest in the work.
The experiments will be continued and
every feature of bulb growing will be
carefully studied before the government
advocates the growing of the so-called
Dutch bulbs as a commercial industry
in this country. Much remains to be
learned regarding cultural methods and
soil conditions best suited for the crop.
Careful attention is also to be given to
prevention and control of plant diseases,
to fertilization, harvesting, curing, stor-
ing. transportation and marketing of the
bulbs. Information on the progress or
the work is furnished free to all people
who request it of the Secretary of Asri-
culture. and practical cooperation IN
conducting the experiments is encouraged
with florists who have the facilities to
test out the various varieties of bulbs
produced.
The people of the United States should
not fool themselves, into believing that
the pure food prob
Guarding lens is solved when
laws are enforced to
This idea is expressed by DR.. Carl L..
Alsberg chief of the bureau OF chemistry,
who is urging that increased attention be
given to adequate sanitary and hygienic
control of food. by which term he means
the prevention of traffic in products
which are contaminated and are dan
gerous to health.
ITO prevent this traffic in foods which
are dangerous to health and to insure
the most sanitary and hySienic control
of the things which the people eat is far
more difficult said DIR. Alsberg yester-
day. than to prevent mere fraud in food
products. Fraud may usually be de-
tected by chemical analysis. If the food
be manufactured in insanitary surround
ha ho boarer Of
the germs of tuberculosis, typhoid,
measles or scarlet fever, this can hardly
be detected. Hence, in my opinion, foods
such as milk, butter. meat. fish and shell
fish, which are capable of this kind of
should receive the great
est attention from the health authorities
of every state and municipality.
Efficient inspection of the place of pro
duction and frequent and regular medi-
cal supervision of the workmen are the
only safeguards against the contamina
ton of food products. 1t should be i'm
with case of typhoid fever in his
family to ship milk or butter.
The control of the hygienic and sani-
tary conditions of food production is a
task for the individual states. Every per-
son throughout the country should use
troll in his state. ! can conceive of moth
ing more important.
IF sanitary control is to be established
throughout the United States, it must be
clearly understood that, to be effective, it
must rest upon an adequate health serv-
ice. Unfortunately. at the present time
outside of our larger cities, an efficient
health service is unusual, and most small
towns and small communities therefore
are without proper health protection.
What the country needs today is an ade
uuate staff of well trained, well paid
full-time health officers. in every county
in every state. Along with these well
equipped health departments must go
progressive laws which are enforced for
the requiring of vital statistics of COM
munica BILE diseases. When all of this is
done there will be an adequate, sanitary
and hygienc control of foods, and not
before.
THE point which all people should re-
member. particularly those of US who live
in urban communities, is that just as long
as we do nothing for the health of our
country people just SO long will typhoid
and similar communicable diseases be I'M
ported into the large cities. The enforce
ment of laws which make for the sanitary
control of food production IN connection
with the enforcement of laws against food
adulteration will lead to the improvement
of health conditions in all parts of this
country and to the upbuilding Of a strong
er and better race"
RAYMOND w. PULLMAN.
ENGLAND.