The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-05-30

l8 By Freden
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P-ompt cooperation Between staces
and the federal Soyernment the dis
lcoyeU CT the true nature OF a nys-
/ rerors plague by young woman
Escienfist arteT several men had failed
and the popular subscHpIions OF funds
/ to combat It. are unique features
8aged against the citrus fruit canker
in the gi1 states of interest through
1 out the county. This new disease
threatened TO destroy large acreages
Of young trees. and but for his prompt
action, would have resulted In citrus
fruit famine. and a heavy commercial
loss which would have been felt IN
every state
While the states affected have been
yaliantly working TO overcome the
plague, their resources were 1nSunc
lent 10 meet the emergency, 50. Jed;
eraI help was. secured. One OF the
last bills passed by Congress before
its adjournment appropriated the sum
OF So, GOO TO aid the southern states
in the conquest OF the newly discoy-g
cred pest This has made possible.
the employment of large forces OF adj
d:tionai inspectors who are actively
at work, and It is confidently believed
that within six months the largest
part. of the injected territory Will have
been covered.
The question as to whether the dis
ease was caused by fungi OF bacter-i
ia was OF the greatest importance pc,
cause It determined the means 70 be
taken for its eradication About three
; weeks ago, Miss Clara H Hasse. a.
young bacteriolog:st employed at SCI
entifc assistant in fruit disease lnves-
tieaticn for the department OF agr-
culture, completed her studies which
proved that the canker is caused by
bacteria instead of by fungi. as had
been at first supposed. Her estab-
l:shment OF PreudomonaS Ctr as the
cause of the canker has been accepted
as conclusive by pathologlSts through
out the country
Before the announcement OF MESS
iHas5e's Investigations. H Z. Stevens,
the plant patholoSs1 of the Florida
agricultural experiment station. MAJ
been conducting experiments which
| led him to believe that, bacteria were
a direct cause of the, disease. but miss
IHasse completed her. study first In
| a letter addressed to the Florida
growers announcing the, discovery,
Mr. Stevens CALAMITY gives full credlI
10 Miss HasSe while reSrettinS- that
! he had not made the discovery him
| self. Miss Hasse is graduate OF:
! the University of Michigan and has
been making psychological studies
for several years. Although this is
/ the first important result secured by
!, her individual effort. she has assisted.
lin number OF the most difficult ef-
forts undertaken in the investigation
tof plant disease by the department OF
agriculture
4 Because It is bacteria that must be
1 dealt with, the only remedy IS the de-
tstrpction Of every infected tree Ex-
perience with other. bacterial diseases
terra cannot be conquered by sprays
Tor insecticides The present canker
penetrates entirely through the leaf
cells Of an infected tree. Any spray
srtong enough TO overcome the dis
ease Will kill the tree 1t has been
found more economical to burr. the
tree at once and thus prevent the IN
/ lection being carried. Therefore the
torch is being applied to thousands OF
trees.
The disease is believed to have orig
mated in Texas from seeding plants
| brought in from Japan It Is known
TO be quite prevalent in citrus fruit,
trees IN Japan. southern China and
also the Philippine Islands It at
iracks the grape fruit most ass1duous-
I ly. especially IN Florida where the
production OF this fru.t. mas been
more than doubled. w1th1n the last hve
years. DIR. Karl F. KelIarman. the
plant physiologlst OF the department
/ of agriculture. has noted that 1t is
| less apt to attack the seedless Tar1e-
! ties of fruit although he has not yet
completed his research IN onls con
nection It is not so Likely 70 attack
older trees. 50 that the present din
Guilty viii not materially reouce the