Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-15

Every species is listed according to locality and
kept pressed between the pages of thin folder
so Enthusiastically colored that even the out
slider can tell at a glance what the general
designation should be.
the course of an important research trip
not long ago TO Brazil Mrs. Chase found
many strange varieties of grass, and collected
more than 500 species. She saw growing the
semi-aquatic Echinochloa polstachya, gle
gantic relative of our barnyard grass This,
she was told, is eagerly eaten by the native cat
tie. But while gorging themselves with it, they
frequently are attacked by the piranha the
blood thirsty fish that makes bathing always
risky in certain sections of the desolate Sac
Francisco River.
Who knows what a cytologist is? Probably
not very many. Yet the curious sounding
technical title is of great importance in Gov
eminent research work. The job has TO do
with study of the structure of cells. Bearing
this fact in mind, one would naturally expect
to find, when introduced TO r. c. Starrett as
SiStant cytologst of the Bureau of Plant In
dustry, man of advanced age who bears the
distinct stamp Of long years of ultra scientific
research. But instead, r. c. Starrett is a
young woman who combines a charming femi-
ninity with considerable ability.
Her particular task just now is to note the
effect of those plant diseases known as curly
top OF sugar beet and mosaic of sugar cane, and
sugar beet ailments which do a great deal of
harm to the South'S sugar cane industry and
to the Vests sugar beet output. Asked how
these diseases accomplish their devastation,
CytologiSt Starrett, says: mo one knows much
about them save that they are the product of
a virus organism so minute that it is able to
pass through the finest filters that science has
devised. Even the all-Seeing eye of the micro
scope has thus far failed to locate the organism.
However, the experts have learned how to
recognize the diseases when they see them
through their microscopes. In the case of the
mosaic, there is a decidedly mottled effect on
the plantS-a series of dark green patches with
larger patches in the surrounding regions. AS
for curly top, this ailment forms tiny pustuleS
on the plants, not much larger than pin prick.
Moreover, the affected plants become stunted,
diScolorcd, twisted and gnarled"
THE only animal sculptress" in our Govern
ment any government, so far as is
known, is Mrs. Margaret Roller OF the Depart
ment of Agriculture. Her real title. as de-
Scribed on the official personnel list is artist,
but since so much of her work is confined to
making models of animals for the Bureau of
Animal Industry, she is regarded among her
fellow workers as a sculptures. Her model of q
donkey was constructed with such fidelity that
it is now on permanent exhibition in Spain.
Despite her ability with modelling clay, how
ever, Mrs Rollers chief source of pride is her
capacity to make exhibits of tasty food COM
binations as prepared under the guidance of
experts of the Bureau of Home Economics. All
the exhibits are made of wax, and look so
much like the original that there is a story
going the rounds that one day a small boy,
visiting one of the Government exhibits noticed
what looked to him like luscious piece Of
lemon pie and did not learn of his mistake UNI
til his teeth had sunk into thick wad of col
ored wax.
(CopyrgIt, 1922