Evening star., 1950-05-24
Miracle Drug Moy End
Need for Moving Lowns
Tests on Rubber By-Product
Mode at North Corolinu u.
Dy Thomos Z. Henry

By Thomos Z. Henry
CHAPEL HILL. N. c.. May 2S.-lAwns
and hedges that need not be moved or
clipped. lawns free Of crab grass, cotton
fields that win require very little cultivs-
ton and fruit orchards protected from
late frosts such as have cost farmers
through the eastern States millions this
year are among the promises Of q new
miracle drug which Is under intensive
investigation by University Of North
Carolina botanists.
It Is maleic hydraxide. q hy-product Of
rubber manufacture which has been
known to chemists for the last half CEN
tury but hitherto has had no use. It's
possibilities still are promises rather than
realities. It Is emphasized by DR.. v. A.
Greulach Of the North Carolina faculty
and q great deal Of experimentation still
t necessary before the material can be
recommended to home owners or farmers.
Inhibits Cell Division.
The peculiar property Of maleic hydra
zide. Or. Greulach explained. Is that OF
tnhibiting cell division-which means
growth-in plants for periods dependent
on the dose given. usually by spraying.
Other chemicals have the same effect.
Probably the best known Of them Is COLI
chichine, an extract from the European
crocus. which in the past IS years has
caused a revolution in plant breeding It
stops. or retards. cell division. But at the
same time 1t changes the constitution Of
the cells themselves. especially the germ
cells so that new varieties and species
are created.
The basic contribution OF the Univer-
n in hot Sf a hot
maleic hydrazide suSpends growth with
out in any way affecting the constitution
Of the plant cells.
Some Of the implications are obvious.
They are being explored by botanists all
over the country. A lawn. for example.
could be moved once. in the spring and
Immediately sprayed with the chemical.
Reports on Early Tests.
Early tests by scientists OF the o. 8.
Rubber Co. who first experimental with
the material. showed growth Of the grass
could be completely suspended for As
much as four months. When growth Is
resumed 1t proceeds normally. although
perhaps at slightly slower rate.
The main point is that the grass Is
uninjured and its hereditary makeup
unchanged. This effect Is common to
blue grass. bent grass. crab grass, plant
aims and chick weed. Crab grass, bane Of
home lawns all over the country Is an
annual plant which must produce seed
in order to persist. 1t might be kept In
essentially state Of suspended anima-
ton through its seeding period and thus,
for all practical purposes eliminated.
The great economic saving. 1t was
stressed, would be with golf links and
dc nf inc
lawns Of the University of North Caro-
lima alone. for example. calls for q very
great labor cost every summer. Wedding
also would be eliminated.
Pronounced Effect on Barley.
Reports Just received from University
OF California botanists show that the
chemical has much more pronounced
effect against barley than cotton. Barley
is one Of the grasses. This has raised
hope in Southern experiment stations
that spraying cotton fields after the cot
ton itself has attained a good growth
would wipe out the grasses which grow
between the rows and eliminate much OF
the labor of cultivation. In any case, 1t
has been shown. maleic hydrazide has q
greater effect on young than on mature
plants. This holds out the promise OF
eliminating weeds everywhere.
The corn crop Of the United States has
been nearly doubled in the past few years
by the introduction Of hybrid corn The
breeding Of this involves much labor
since 1t is necessary to go through the
fields and strip of all the male. or pollen
bearing flowers. leaving the female, or
ear-producing, blossoms.
Maleic hydraZide in rather small con-
centrations will prevent the formation Of
pollen producing blossoms, recent expert
ments have shown. Another notable
property is that of preventing the ginkgo
tree from forming fruits. This living
fossil forms an excellent shade and dec
.orative tree for city streets but when its
fruits drop on the sidewalks they make
a mess.
Aid In Hay Fever Fight.
1t prevents goldenrod and ragweed
from forming pollen. the cause OF 20
much hay fever. These plants. for whose
elimination there Is a determined cam
paign in many parts Of the country. have
decided value. They grow on poor.
thin soil and arrest erosion. The new
drug shows a way In which they can be
retained without being a menace to al
lergy victims.
tobacco plants. Much labor Is expended
every year picking these of by hand.
Spraying a potato field Just before dig
ging delays the sprouting Of the potatoes
in storage bins.
The only publicity given the new mir.
acle drug to date Is due to its property
OF delaying the budding Of fruit trees.
This undoubtedly is its most important
economic potentiality. 1t can carry or.
chardS undamaged through the treach.
erous months Of late winter with their
violent temperature changes.
Thus far the University Of North Caro-
lima botanists have been concerned pri.
marily with It's mode of action, rather
than its practical uses which will be ap-
parent once the fundamentals are cleared.