The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-04-16
BUMPER CROP OF RAGWEED
 POLLEN

POLLEN
 According to botanist Oren C.. Durham, who has recently publish ed interesting and instructive book entitled "Your Hay Fever" (Bobbs- Merrill Co.,, New York) there are no less than nine varieties of ragweed in these United States, producing at least million tons of pollen an- nually. August and September are the peak months for ragweed pollen production; tests of the air in that season shows that more than 98 per cent of the pollen in the air in such cities as Pittsburg Buffalo, Cleve- land, Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee is from ragweed. In the height of the hay fever season, pol len counts indicate, there is 826 pounds of ragweed pollen to the square mile in Indianapolis, 568 pounds in Buffalo, 401 pounds in Chicago, 16 pounds in Tower, Min nesota-but the place is small and can't accommodate great influx of visitors, remember 29 pounds in Mobile, 9 pounds in Phoenix, 6 pounds in Los Angeles, 2 pounds in Sacramento, and none at all in Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Prince Albert, Miami, Reno. Duluth where many sufferers find relief every au- tumn, doesn't stand out in MT. Dur hams table-153 pounds of pollen to the mile. Other hay fever re- sorts were evidently on good be- havior when the pollen tests of the air were made: Denver, 98 pounds; Boise, IT pounds; Bar Harbor, p pounds; Upper Dam (Rangeley Lakes), 8 pounds; Isle Royal, pounds: Sault Ste. Marie, A pounds; Biloxi, 28 pounds; Bethle- hem (N. H0, 16 pounds; North Platte, A pounds; Atlantic City, 106 pounds; Roswell, 9 pounds; Lake Placid, 26 pounds; Saranac Lake, 22 pounds; Fl Paso, pounds; Amarillo pounds; Cochrane, Ont, pounds; Father Point, Que, 6 pounds; Port Arthur, 20 pounds; Winnipeg, 24 pounds; Tampico, IS pounds; Mex ico City, 2 pounds.
 My notion of dull reading is al- most anything about hay fever and its causes. But then, haven't hay fever. This book of MT. Durham's makes mighty good reading, and If it were not for the bla-bla intro duction" and the equally superhuous chapter on treatment - contribu- tions by medical gentlemen who love the sound of their own voices-the book would make welcome addi- ton to ones library.
 People who entertain quaint fam cies that they have "rose cold" ol rose fever, or that they are sensi- tive to goldenrod, or lilac, or even jonquil or iris, will learn something to their own advantages or theii friends by reading MT. Durham'i book. Physicians who treat or ad- wise hay fever patients about resorts will get the right bearings here.
 It is generally agreed that de. stroying or cutting pollen-besrinl weeds, such as ragweed, within 6 few hundred feet of ones residenct is useful proprophylactic measure But ragweed pollen is carried chief. ly in the air, and probably fol great distances, and as MT. Durham points out. it has not been demon. strated that 1t is possible to lowel the amount of pollen in the air as measured at U. s. weather stations even by the most thorough weed cutting campaign as yet instituted
 With poolen slides we may test th, air and with pollen extracts we may test the patient. By thesetwo test we may determine definitely th' cause of the trouble.