South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-05-29
WILD WHEAT FOUND
IN ROCKY REGIONS
Or. John NJ. Coulter Heard at
High School in Opening Adj
dress at Meeting of State
Academy of Science.

some Of the wild originals Of our fun
damental food products and Of scien-
tific methods OF plant breeding is
gradually bringing the disastrous gap
between our enormous increase IN
population and the inadequate in
crease in food production was brought
out in an interesting manner Thurs
day evening by DR.. John NJ. Coulter
Of Chicago university in his talk in
the high school auditorium. DR.. Coul-
ter addressed the members and guests
of the Ir3iana academy of science
which opened its spring meeting in
South Bend last evening. His subject
was PLANT Breeding and What 1T Is
Doing Toward Solving the Food Prob
lem"
The lecture. followed by a business
meeting during which 20 new mem
hers were elected and plans for
the fall meeting discussed, constituted
the first session Of the convention
which viii continue for three days.
Friday and saturday viii be occupied
largely with field trips and excursions
10 points of scientific interest In st.
Joseph county and southern Michigan.
DrOughts and disease said the
Drought and Disease Factors.
speaker. must also be TeckOned with
In food production, as well as adapta-
ton TO soil and general climatic con-
ditions. simultaneously with Missions
success in Sweden came the discovery
in Palestine by AaronsOn, a young
Jewish scientist, of the wild original
of our wheat which both for sentl-
mental and scientific reasons has
long been sought. 1t grew on the arid,
rocky mountain slopes Of Palestine
Almost at the same time a missionary
in China discovered corn which had
been successfully grown in the arid
plains of the table land since 800 years
before Columbus discovered America.
ha Of
States agricultural department eXper-
iments are being made which ulti-I
mately will make it possible for spe-
cies Of these wild products TO make
fruitful the desert wastes Of our cOun-
try.
Then" said the speaker. instead
OF an average production TO the acre
we shall have a maximum production
per acre and the gap between the in
crease in the population and the in
crease of the food supply will have
been successfully bridged."
DIR. Coulter closed with an inspiring
tribute 20 the science and scientists
who serve not one or two classes or
groups Of individuals but the entire
Iace."
The speaker was introduced by
Severance Burrage of the Eli Willy
Drug company of Indianapolis. pres
ident Of the academy and formerly
university.
The Indiana Academy of Science
was organized i'm 1850 at BroOkville,
Ind. 1t holds two meetings yearly
fall business meeting at Indianapolis
when papers of interest are read by
various members and are afterward
published in book form at the expense
of the state. and "a spring meeting in
some selected section of the state
which Is largely social in nature.
Among those here for the convention
is Or. w s. Blachley of Indianapolis.
former state geologist. The delegates
represent all the leading sciences.
Auto Trip Today.
A. o'clock this morning automO-
biles carrying the 60 visitors left
the headquarters at the oliver hotel
for an all day trip To Bertrand. Fort
St. Joseph, and Berrien Springs. A
picnic lunch was 10 be served at the Ad-
ventist college beyond Berrien Springs
and the party viii return by way of
Buchanan Or. II. Il. Montgomery
and DIT Charles r. Stoltz Of the local
committee acted as guides. AT $50
O'CLOCK this evening dinner viii be
served ut the Oliver hotel at which an
imprOmptu program of toasts Will bee
given saturday the company viii
separate into squads which Will make
excursions 20 Hen Island dam. Rum
village. Pin Hook, \OtTe Dame and
interests dictate.
'The majority of people do not rec
ognize the existence OF the food prob
lem as il stands" said DR. Coulter in
opening his talk. "but its existence
Becomes evident when we stop 20 con-
slider that IN the past ten years our
population has increased 30 per cent
while our food production has in
creased but one per cent. This APP
palling deficiency could not 20 on
very long without disastrous results.
Three factors have arisen how
ever. TO eliminate the deficiency The
first IS the scientific plant breeding.
the second. soil manipulation and the
third the training of men competent
TO bring together plant and soil 90
make them productive to the highest
degree We shall discuss this even
ing merely the first.
I'VE must get and gradually are
getting away from the attempt 10
grow the same thing eVerywhere-
from the idea for example that the
same species OF wheat which viii grow
in one section viii grow with equal
success in another II was only with
the beginning OF the new century in
1900 actually that the first step to-
ward the propagation OF special seed