Evening star., 1954-11-10
Hieh-Energy Radiation
Speeds Plant Evolution
Rust-Resistont oot Struin,
Big-Yield Peanuts Result
By Thomos R. Henry


High-energy radiation appears to be
speeding evolution in few directions
in domestic plants.
It has resulted to date in muta-
tions-changed hereditary characters
which have produced higher-yield-
ing variety of peanuts and at least
temporarily rust-resiStant strain of
oats. It also has been possible to
change q white carnation into red
carnation.
This is done by irradiating parent
plants during certain highly suscepti-
BILE stages In pollen formation, accord
ing to an announcement of DR.. w.
Ralph Singleton Of the Atomic Energy
Commissions experiment station at
Brookhaven, L. ]. 1t long has been
known that radiation produces lasting
changes in the germ plasm, by which
hereditary characters are handed from
generation to generation, of both plants
and animals. At least 80 per cent Of
these changes. it has been estimated,
are for the worse. A rare one confers
a valuable character. and it probably
Is through such variations that evolu-
ton has continued on an upward path
for the past billion years.
No Difficulty.
In plant experiments there is no
occasion to worry about the bad char
acters given to progeny, and the good
ones can be selected for breeding stock.
The better yielding strain of pea
nuts. according to DR.. SingletonS re-
port, was developed by DR.. Walton C.
Gregory of North Carolina State Col
lege. and the rust-resistants oats were
developed jointly by DR.. Calvin F.
Konzak at Brookhaven and K. j. Frey
of Iowa State College, while the change
plished at Brookhaven.
Plant genetics work started in Swe-
den more than 20 years ago, the report
says, but was taken up seriously in
this country only when high-energy
radiation became easily available with
the atomic energy program.
Cockroaches, most ancient of insects
with more than $500 species still sur
viving in the world, may be significant
human disease carriers as well as house.
hold pests.
This is stressed in a report on studies
of the reproduction of these insectlike
creatures carried out by the Army
QuartermaSter Corps to which they are
particular nuisance, which has just
been published by the Smithsonian In
stitution.
Several species closely associated with
man have been shown capable of trans
mitting various micro o-organisms, ac-
cording to Louis M. Roth and Edwin r.
Willis of the Quartermaster's Pioneer
ing Research Laboratories at Phila-
delphia. Some workers definitely have
implicated them in outbreaks of CASTRO
enteritis. Typhoid bacilli have been re-
covered from their feet and bodies in
localized outbreaks of typhoid fever.
Polio Carriers?
Four strains of poliomyelitis virus
have been recovered from the bodies of
domestic species Of these "bugs," coll
lected on the premises of paralytic
patients. One cockroach is known to
be carrier or the eye-Worm disease
of poultry. In theory, at least, they
are able to transmit hookworm
The cockroach is one of the first
forms of animal life known on land
and has shown remarkable capacity
for survival with little change through
the millenniums. Messrs. Roth and
Willis made special Investigations of
their reproduction and discovered such
facts as the following:
Male cockroaches of some species go
through a curious "courtship dance"
before mating.
Among them there is a male es-
sence" and a female essence" These
bring the sexes together by exerting
some chemical stimulus-probably OIL
factory.
A female cockroach often discharges
her eggs when at the point of death
as when her head has been cut of.
This may be an important element in
preservation of the species in times Of
disaster.