Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-07-12
OABBAGE.

"A number Of Grand Forks men listened the other
dayato : brief but very interesting address on the SUBJ
ject 6f cabbage. 1t was delivered at a Kiwanis club
luncheon by DR.. John Walker, plant patholosist 1t the
University Of Wisconsin, who CHANGED to be stopping on
u Tie city.
70 most people cabbage is a subject of only mild In
terest. Yet 1t is of sufficient importance to command the
attention Of skilled men of science and Of great business
organizations. We find a combination Of these interests
in the fact that DR.. Walkers present trip is for the pur-
pose Of continuing his work for the prevention Of certain
cabbage diseases in a great cabbage seed growing district
on Puget sound, and that the incidental expenses are
borne by a national association of kraut manufacturers.
To those of us whose familiarity with cabbage is
confined to the raising of a few dozen plants in the gar
den or the purchase Of an occasional dimes worth Of
kraut may find something arresting in the fact that the
preparation of cabbage in one form for human food is
conducted on a scale large enough to warrant a national
association for the useful development OF the industry,
and the borrowing of a professor from a great university,
and his dispatch half way across the country to aid in
producing a cabbage seed that is free from disease. That
makes 1t look like a rather big thing.
We are told that the diseases that are most annoy
ing to cabbage growers, because most injurious to the
plant, are borne on or in the seed. The problem is to
produce only clean seed. To this problem learned men
and men eminent in business have addressed themselves
with a gratifying measure of success.
The United States uses a large quantity Of foreign
cabbage seed, most Of this coming from Denmark. OF
the domestic seed 80 per cent is produced in two districts,
one on Long Island, N. T., and the other on Puget Sound.
In the Long Island district a speciality has been made Of
cabbage seed for many years, but as the industry became
eStdDlSneQ there the 6oll became injected with disease
which communicated itself to the seed. Representative
growers then undertook to transplant a section OF the
industry clear across the continent, and the Puget Sound
fields are the, result. There All effort has been made to
exclude disease, but injurious bacteria have made their
appearance.
Science has addressed itself to two methods of COM
batting these organisms. One is such treatment Of soil
and care Of growing plants as will keep the bacteria away.
Tho other is the development Of plants which are natur-
ally immune, and which will produce uninfected seed.
Progress has been made in both directions and DR.. Walker
says that one Of the ends aimed at is the marketing Of
certified seed. officially guaranteed to have been grown
the most favorable conditions, and to be free from
dipease. This he points out will be OF immense advantage
to growers, who, under present conditions, have no pro
lection, as cabbage seed, infected or uninfeeted, looks all
alike, and the grower has no means Of knowing what he
Is buying. u
This is just a stray note or two from the great vol
urne which constitutes the record Of human effort in the
development and production Of human food. The COM
plete story, II 1t wore possible to write II, would be q
fascinating one. It would tell Of adventure by sea and
land; Of the scaling of mountains and the crossing OF
deserts for a handful of precious seed or . few shoots
from q rare plant; Of long hours spent over the microscope
OK in compromising strange mixtures in order that the
secret of some life might be discovered or means may
be found for defeating some plant enemy. The work de-
ntands the very best that is in him from the farmer in
his field, the student in his laboratory, of the workers
In transportation and industry, in commerce aid finance,
IN every department Of human effort, for the people are
many. and they must be fed or die.