The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-09-23
TREASURE STATE FARM AND LIVESTOCK
DIRECTOR OF EXPERIMENT
STATION MAKES REPORT

of bad selection Of seed. Within the
past 10 or IL yearS, however, scientists
have demonstrated to their own salts
faction that certain plants will run
out" Looking for a cause, he has called
them collectively degeneration diseases,
with special names Tor different mani
festations of the disease. What this
disease is, we do not know. If 1T is
caused by a living organism 1T is inf
nitely smaller than h bacteria which
we have considered the smallest Of liv-
ing things. Bacteria may be separated
from a liquid by filtering through a
porcelain filter, but the liquid contain
ing these diseases is as vtrulent after
as before being filtered. We know con-
siderable about these diseases, however
what the ydo to plants, how they may
be carried from plant to plant, and
something of methods Of control. This
is not adiSease that kills, but one that
through two, three, four or more gen.
erations gradually weakenS growth and
reproduction to the point Of extinction:
We know something Of h effects OF
this group Of diseases on certain plants,
particularly the potato, tobacco, sugar
beet and sugar cane, but the field is
widening al 1.-The time. We do not know
yet the full extent, the limitations, or
the possible influence Of these diseased
conditions on farm crops.
Yet another new field Of study is the
finding of strains or the varieties OF
plants and h environmental conditions
which will give the greatest resistance to
disease, or the greatest FREEDOM from dis
ease. We know, for instance, that in
Montana it is much easier to keep pota-
toes free from degenerative diseases than
is the case in states farther south, but
whether this is due directly to climatic
conditions or because with Us these
conditions abe less favorable to the
multiplication of the insects which are
1 Ill., - +.,~-F1 %I1 Isrnaro ro IL
not know.
Plant improvement work is also com
plicated in that, while a plant may be
resistant to disease in one locality, wher
transferred to another locality it may
meet a strain of the disease that will
prove destructive; or a new strain Of the
disease may be introduced into the local
ity to which the plant at once succumbs
Resistance to disease thus appears to bC
a local characteristic. What I wish tt
point out is that the problem Of seeC
improvement is a perpetual fight 70,
new varieties and new t%srains, and
within these, strong and vigorous seed
free from all forms of disease.
Climate also limits as well as encour
ages plant diseases. For instance, Will
varieties Of poplar are common alonI
the rivers in Montana, yet h orthwest
ern poplar succumbs to disease NOR
quickly when planted on dry land thai
under irrigation. Here again we a
an interplay of the various climatic fac
tors with plants and disease for whicl
we must find a solution.
Twenty-Five or more years ago w
thought we knew a lot about anima
feeding, an dthe practical man did hav
a large measure Of success in this fielc
Perhaps up to that time we had lived
little closer to nature and used more lib
orally the raw materials she provided
But as our lives and our work, on tn
farm as elsewhere, became more compli
Gated, we discovered that protein, carbo
hydrates n ash in a proper nutritiv
ration do not maxi a complete fedin
ration. We must ask also whether tn
vitamins are in ample proportion an
of sufficient variety. These studies hay
> also brought to us a new vision Of til
value of sunlight in relation to healt
and proper nutrition.
We nave also discovered that feeds an
feeding stUffs may be deficient in avail
able mineral ingredients for the propi
and efficient functioning of the o
We nav a great deal to learn about tt
needs Of the body for such substance
as phosphorus, iodine, lime, ETC., and tt
effect of a very small deficiency in the
elements on the growth and develop
ment Of the animal.