Evening star., 1941-02-25
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.


Thousands of square miles of Northern
South America and Central America
may be opened to Northern European
colonization through the discovery by
an English doctor in Caracas, Venezuela,
of a strange grass, which drives away
mosquitoes, ticks and snakes.
Seeds of this grass already have been
grown in large quantities by DR.. Edward
Morgan and supplied to the Venezuelan
government, which is sowing them
around homesteads prepared in the in
terror of the country for Danish emf
| grants.
This provides homes free at the start
from danger of malaria, snake bite and
half dozen virulent diseases of men
and animals known to be carried by
ticks. At the same time, according to
/ word Just received by the Pan-American
| Sanitary Bureau here, DR.. Morgan has
analyzed the grass and finds it one Of
| the richest of all pasture feeds for
| IlOl SCS, COWo A1lUACc-dlSAAObSA PAOS
ably unsuitable for sheep.
| The English physicians first report
| of his discovery was to London medical
society about six months ago when 1t
was proposed to establish a Jewish
refugee center in the interior of British
GUIANA proposal violently opposed
because it was thought that German.
Austrian and Czecho-Slovakian Jews
could not endure the tropical conditions.
The grass of species known as
Melinis multifora. 1t is native to
Venezuela and, DR.. Morgan says, its
strange properties long have been known
to a few native farmers who have
I pioneered and prospereo in supposedly
uninhabitable country. The great curse
of large areas of the country is malaria,
| the disease which is supposed to have
caused the downfall OF the great Maya
Empire In Yucatan In the half century
| before the coming of the Spaniards.
The same disease, DR.. Morgan says, has
kept the population of Venezuela down
to about 100000, although there Is
fertile land to support 10 times that
A4dAAANCA' Aol &c 1CSAOLAos OIIlCl W LOG lOCdlly
adapted to stock-raising and scattered
with thick forests, are partly flooded
during the rainy season from April to
November. Misunderstanding mosquitoes
swarm in uncomfortable numbers
This Is the time the grass is green
When it is green it is most efficacious
as a shield against pests. Hardly a
cinolo
pasture Sown with it. Cattle heavily
infested with blood-sucking ticks are
free OF them in few days after being
turned into such pasture. The dreaded
fer de lance and bushmaster, most
venomous of tropical serpents, will not
come within smelling distance of such a
pasture. But stock avidly devour the
grass and get fat.
1t contains, DR.. Morgan says some oily
substance which exudes from Its stems,
especially during the blossoming period,
and has peculiar, penetrating and
pleasant odor, especially in the early
| morning before the dew is dry. Ones
boots are creased. he says, after walk
Ing through damp pasture.
The pastures burst into flower early
| In November. he explains, and shortly
afterward the seed falls. 1t requires
ABOUT three weeks to germinate with
favorable weather 1t also can be plant
ed in shallow soil and spreads rapidly.
1t Is essential. however, first to clear the
land of brush and weeds
The grass is especially adapted, he
To IYty
actual Swamps-so that extension of
the mosquito-free region far into the
Amazon country probably would be i'm
possible. The best prospects are offered.
be believes, by Venezuela Colombia,
Ecuador and the three Guianas. The
''gordura" pastures-the name by which
the grass is known to the natives-also
might be extended northward to Central
Mexico.
The primary use, he says, appears to
be as a pasture grass although his ex-
perimentS show that when stock is
Kept away 1t yields a heavy hay crop.
He tested its efficacy by planting it on
hills of the big, fierce bachacho ants
which abound in the country and an
invasion of which will destroy a corn
Held in few days 1t grew luxuriously
and the ants left
1t should be planted" he saws
around every home in the tropics"
X \ r
A hitherto unknown species OF
octopus, found on President Roosevelt's
trip to the Galapagos Islands in the
summer of 1889. has just been an
nounced by the Smithsonian Institution
under the name of Octopus roosevelt.
Sailors found the curious creature lurk-
ing in dark shadows of alongshore rocks
! of desolate James Island.
This octopus is a relatively small
species for these terrors of the deep
The male is little more than 2 feet
long, and 4 female barely measures 7
| inches
The eight-armed octopus and its close
relative, the 10-armed squid, represent
the highest development of the great
molusk family-which also includes the
humble clam, oyster and snail. Unlike
the sea-living squids, octopuses are
usually cave dwelling creatures, spend
ing little time in the open sea.
Believes Germany Possesses