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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1951-7-11, Page 7Aggiio Ey Richard H. Wilshisen Quentin, north woods guide, told me this story, "It happened shortly after gold was dis,'uvet'ed up near Ila], den," he began, "1l wasn't touch of .a strike. 'I setllenuut, however, sprung up and they named it Lela ad, after Jim. "A year after the first log build- • ings were erected the settlers decid- ed they ought to have a school teacher, and they sent down to Ot- tawa for one, Miss Agnes Sheldon volunteered and I was delegated to meet her at the station in 'Twin Forks. It was a six-day canoe trip, the ouly practical means of summer transportation, "One look at bliss Agnes Sheldon when she stepped from that train and I smelled trouble. She wasn't old, but her features bore .0 mature look. She wore it severe black suit, bone -rimmed glasses, cotton stock- ings, laced boots. "When I introduced myself she looked at me as though I were some new kind of insect, That made me orad at the start. I scouted around the town and borrowed some ap- parel for her to wear that was suit- able for the trip. offered them to her and she glared at me as though I'd called her a bad name. In no uncertain terms she assured the site was cap- able of choosing her own costumes, Well,. I was sort of glad. My con- science was clear and I felt that the trip would teach her a much needed lesson, I did, however,- endeavor .to. prevail upon her to rub some mos- quito lotion on her slain before we In no uncertain terms Agnes Sheldon told him she was cap, stile of choosing her own -cos-: tomes,, *tatted. She wasn't, slue said. going to smear herself up like a savage, °Tlte mosquitoes,were`pretty•had that year, le(bre boort of tlie first day Miss :Sheldon was bittet'i so bacl- ly'it hurt me to look at her. X offer- ed her the lotion again and she re- fused.it 1.eogYd see themthatsshe was stubborn, "The morning after' /Ilk Rile. night I crawled out of my tent' O. dawn and found that Miss Sheldon was up ahead of me, She .was down at •the river, bathing tier' face. By the ' looks of her clothes, she'd slept in tliivni ' • '• The remainder of that trip was something to write- home about. With each:passipg mile Miss Shel- don got more ;uncomfortable. and - ntore obstipar ,. And .1, though h• Pitied her, got pretty stubborn my- self. I decided not to offer her the lotion again rlrs111 she asked for it. I was sure'that sooner or later she'd break clown and "admit defeat. Btu she didn't, "We had a, pretty 'tough tithe in the Little Falls rapids because the river was high that year, We shipped a lot of water and bliss Sheldon got drenched through to the skin, That night it rained and she slept in wet clothes, The next day she broke her glasses, and .be- cause of `near sightedness was al - way tripping over things, "We reached Leland shortly after noon of the sixth day and there was quite a delegation down to meet us. Jinn was there, beaming a welcome and ready to snake a speech, But at sight of Miss Sheldon the heart died on his lips, "`Gentlemen," I says, "this 'here's Miss Agnes Sheldon, our new school teacher. She aims to bring a bit of civilization into our settle• mens, and I reckon she's done it" "Well sir, if Miss Sheldon haled me before, she deapiscd one after that speech, But I'm clanged if 1 could inept it, This was my First ex- perience with a female and I telt your 1' was shad. Any dumblead who'd let mosquitos bite the tar nut of her fila that, deserved to be told what was thought of her, "Jim Leland's wife fetched her up to' their cabin and put her In bed. She stayed there for almost two weeks. Mosquitos, sunburn and wet Oodles had Banged bear ruined her. "Me, after I'd cooled off some, I -felt kind of apologetic and decided the best thing I could do was to get out of town for a spell, But 1 didn't, No, All' I stuck there and faced nny - medicine. can*, '.I'lterc`s nothing file be- ing married to nr $vire who's got a • Mind of her own—ditty say,' MALE ft: 1-1 YDItA•l.IDE1 Sounds like an Arabian curse, doesn't it? Or maybe the name of a minor— Asia Minor—delegate to the United Nations Assembly. But don't let the looks or sound of the name fool you. For maleic hydrazide, known as Mil for short, may prove to be the answer to an age-old dream—the dream of potato, turnip, carrot and other root -growers of being able to store their produce in the late Fall and not have its value slashed to pieces through sprouting, s: * r: Sugar -beet farmers and proces- sors have longed for something which would prevent the beets from heating in storage and so losing a valuable part of their sugar content, Mr, Mil might be the' answer to that one as well, * a. Maleic hydrazide is a new chem'. cal that you simply spray on tuber crops SOMETIME 13 E F fiARVEST, Then when your tu- bers are dug and stored, they sim- ply refuse to sprout and retain a remarkable freshness, according to„ - W. Lowell Treaster, writing -in The Country Gentleman. Tests have been going on with these prelim' - vest sprays for two years now, and have been successful to the point of amazement. As yet the chemical is being manufactured for experi- ' mental purposes by the United States Rubber Company, whose chemical division says—" Limited quantities of AFH -30 are available for test -sales purposes during the current season; and 'sales are limit- ed by law to organizations with qualified technical personnel who will supervise tests and report on results." M: * C: While testing ;a number of chemi- cals, S. H. WittCi'cr, Michigan State horticulturist, two years ago dis- covered that this compound has properties for arresting growth in stored vegetables, At that time he was searching for something that could be.—tined—,as a prelim -vest fo- • liage sptty.40 prevent sprouting. Firstwerees were on onions; later potatoes tesrrots, garden beets, par- snips, turnips, rutabagas 'and sugar beets. All experiments were uni- formly successful. s, * t, "I have seldom seen tests when results were so nearly 'perfect as those with maleic hydrazide," Witt- wer commented, "We could •bardly believe them possible," The scientist has large quantities of both Pontiac and- Cobbler pota- toes in storage—half of them treat- ed, the other half- untreated,' As 'of May 15 the treated were as sound and as firm as when they carte from the ground; the untreated shriveled, soft and wearing long sprouts, absolutely unfit for use. Both varieties were- planted last May 10, 1950, and harvested about September 1 1950. Various maleic hydrazide concentrations were ap- plied from two weeks to six weeks before harvest: Potatoes receiving., 2500parts of MIi per million parts of water either four or -six weeks before harvest refused ;to sprout during eight months of storage at, 57 degroes F, Even wit101000 parts per million there was little evidence" of sprout growth, Tilde was no effect on yield of the sprayed crop. • 5, * t, Onion tests were as convincing, with trials even more conclusive as they have been conducted' for two years, The sante eau In said for•• carrots, garden beets, parsnips and turnips: . in the onion tests the green tops of the various varieties were spray- ed in the field about two weeks before harvest, Solution strengths. ranged from 500 to 2500 parts of MI -1 per million of water. Although considerable inhibition of sprouting - took place with the 500 strength, - the 2500 -parts solution held all of the onions in perfect condition, with no sprouting, until May 1t0. There was no evidence that sprout- ing would occur in the near future, and all treated onions were as sound as when they carte out of the- ground, t * * Several large commercial grow- ers in Michigan and 'Indiana have oracle tests of their own, and all are enthusiastic, Several arc order- ing spray for larger acreages this conning season. To learn what maleic hydroxide would do for stored beets; two lots of 514 tons each were used, one lot treated, the other untreated, both from the same field They were placed in bin storage for 35 days. During that time temperature tests were run to show how such heating took place. Sugar -content tests were taken before and after storage. * tl'lost important was the finding that the preharvest spray prevented loss of sugar during storage. The untreated beets lost more than 13 per cent of the total original sugar, while the treated beets lost less than 1 per cent. Weight loss was held to virtually nothing in the treated beets, while the untreated lot lost nearly 10 per cent. Maleic hydrazide also kept the beets from heating, with the treated beets run- ning several degrecs,cooler through- out the 35 days of storage. * * If the new spray continues tv be as successful in future trials, the effect upon the entire vegetable - growing and marketing industry will be phenomenal, Onion growers will be able to turn to the higher - yielding Sweet Spanish types of onions for a better consumer mar- ket. Sweet Spanish types haven't been successful because of their poor ]seeping qualities, Retailers wilt be able to sell onions the year around without large losses. House- wives can buy in larger quantities without fear of sprouting and shri- veling. It is possible that the en- tire national onion -breeding pro- gram may be redirected to the mold- er high-quality types which, in the past, have kept poorly in storage. * * 4, As for potatoes. good tubers will be on the market throughout the year. Growers, wholesalers and re- tailers will make a surer profit, and housewives can store without con- tinually desprouting. Potatoes will suffer no wrinkling or shriveling, and little weight loss. Cooking qual- ity is definitely superior in treated as compared to untreated potatoes after' a period' of- storage. Potato - chip manufacturers will likely find a constant high-quality source of supply, because tests indicate that MH -treated potatoes will snake bet- ter chips even though the potatoes have been in storage for sometime. Color of the chip is better, and there is no odor, no effect on flavor, AS 'part of the tests all treated vegetables were eaten. There were no i11 effects, and the consumers could detect up change in flavor. * * * Other vegetables are soon to un- dergo tests. Sweet corn and peas are next. Both break down quickly after harvcsfanil require rapid han- dling- by packers to retain quality, Scientists believe maleic hydrazide may stop the enzyme action when applied to these two vegetables, This Looks Familiar—In this latest picture of Gen. Charles de Gaulle, the austere leader 'of the Rally of the French People unbends a bit to perform Politicians' Basic Maneuver No. I—hand-hold- ing and baby -kissing.. He's greeting a future voter during a ceremony at Mont`Valerien, com- memorating French Resistance fighters k:fled there by Nazis during World War 11. QUEEN ITU GOve1on Susi tt1. Flowers have been providing color in the garden for several months, and the first several months, and the first yields from the early planted vegetable plot have already appeared at the table. Successive plantings of both are now in order to fill late gaps in the flower border and round out the season with a plentiful supply of fresh vegetables. * * a, A stint to beginners—both vege- tables and annuals need a free -work- ing, good soil in an open situation if results are to be worth the ef- fort; Summer planting may have to be done during a dry time. When this is so, it is a good plan to fill the drills with water so that the seeds are in 'direct- contact with moist earth. The dry soil with which they are covered will hold moisture and help germination. A number of annuals from alys- sum -to •zinnia• may -be• sown now. •• If they are being grown for cut- ting, it is usually more convenient to sow tltent id drills where they are to bloom. Seeds should be sown sparsely and the • seedlings thinned early so that each plant is -at least a few inches from its neighbor. This is best done on a cloudy day if possible, but if not, then in the evening,. to help seedlings recover from possible root disturbance. Where a mass effect is desired, seed of• such kinds as alyhuni, candytuft, California poppy and portulaca may be thinly broadcast and,vcry ligintly raked in: Where space is ready in the flow- er border, seeds may be sown di- rectly, For a mixed grouping, lout- or ouror five seeds are placed in stations spaced according to the size of the plants when grown, The seedlings from each clump are thinned down to one as soon as possible. is X- 5, In cases where the space is not yet available but will be before the summer is over, seeds should be sown in a prepared seed bad ht order to have the plants on hand to fill gaps later on. The seedlings arc moved to flats, or singly into small pots, as soon as possible, They hould have good soil to en- courage growth and watering is necessary to prevent drying out. -Such kinds as China aster, drum - mond phlox, balsam, cosmos, gail- lardia, coreopsis marigold, scabiosa and zinnia transplant readily. * * Y, Even if no vegetables have been planted yet, a sufficient variety may be grown from seed now to make the venture worth while. A goodly supply of snap beans can be enjoyed by snaking sowings at about two- week intervals tip to sixty days be- fore the first frost is anticipated. Varieties with round or flat and green or yellow pods may be chosen according to -preference, --Seeds are placed three irichcs apart and cover- ed about two inches deep. Soon after. germination the., plants should be thinned to six inches apart. * * * Beets and carrots may be sown up to mid-July to supply tender roots for fall use. Seeds are scatter- ed rather sparsely and covered about an inch deep, then thinned soon to . stand two to three inches apart., Early varieties of both are best for` ,the last planting, * The cabbage tribe offers several • goad'vegetabies for fall use. Seed sown in late May gives strong plants to set out in early July. Often it is more convenient. ,to ob- tain seedlings from a commercial source at planting time. Sprouting broccoli will give a gond crop ri tender heads before frost. Purple cauliflower loses its unusual color- ing when cooked, and some people consider it snore delicious than the white, Brussels sprouts are hardier and can stand considerable frost. These all need soil well enriched with organic material. * * * Chinese cabbage is an excellent salad plant for late use, Mid -July is tithe enough to sow the seed, Started earlier, plants may bolt to seed instead of heading up. Seed- lings transplant readily. Flighty—This unusual "hat is one of a group of feathered toppers displayed in the "Millinery •From holland" show at. the . Netherlands Chamber of Com- merce. The luxuriant appear- ance results from the removal of the coarse central quill, leav- ing only the soft barbs to shape the hat. liter, is ,till time to make st platting 11 an early v:tfiety of sweetcorn, which is neva' better than when gathered and taken di - redly to a waiting pot on the kit- chen store. The midget varieties fit tvelht limited space. Rhnba,b chard. is decorative in the -garden, and a sowing at this time will supphr quality+ greens well into the fall, Lettuce tray be sown in early August; the loose -leaved varieties are likely to be best. Tulips In Holland At three o'clock each day a train steams into Amsterdam station, "the flower train." Each day, in the early morning, on the roads to The Hague and Leyden, cycles tan be seen loaded with bouquets; while on the canals the barges that glide by look like moving gardens. However large the flower con- sumption in I•folland can be, it is far from exhausting the richness of the Haarlem fields. Bulbs for ex- port are ripened and selected, nett' varieties are skillfully created. 'there are hyacinths, narcissi, lilies, jonquils by the thousands, but pre- ference goes to the tulips. It is known that this plant was km, ported from Turkey in the middle of the sixteenth century by an Austrian ambassador. . . . It was Clusius the botanist who introduced tulips into Holland in the preceding century: but inspired specialists have altered a hundred tines their shape, size and colour. Each new variety w•as paid the price of gold. In the records of 1faarleut or Alkmaar are found deeds of sales which snake one dream. The pt -ices are fabulous and often money was insufficient. Some gave pairs of pure Friesland horses with their harness in order to pay for them; others gave houses, parks, etc. One variety bears the name of . a, brewer, who, in order to obtain it,..gave his factory with all its equipment. It was the black tulip that gave a romantic inspiration to Alexandre Dumas when he wrote his book, "1-a Tulipe Noire" ("The 'Black Tulip"r, These tulips were impossjble to find; however,. there are others as regal. One single bulb of these was sufficient as a dowry for a daughter. The story is told n1 a rich Amsterdam mer- chant who, fn order to be fashion- able, had bought six bulbs of n rare variety. He left them on a table • in his sitting roots; his ser- vant, 'who probably ..came from some. distant province where the bulbs were not grown, was amazed to see, onions on a sitting -roost table; , so she took them to the kitchen, peeled them and put them in the stew. The ;itcmy does -nu�.ns� go on to say wlnethef hdf i' aster enjoyed 'his -meal or not _-. The polder land, divided up in squares by the narrow canals like a chessboard, in springtime is like coloured rug wholes rises 4sweet perfume. tretches of golden yellow, fiery red. snow white, where sometimes a boat sail can be seen gliding. down an invisible streams. Little girls make' necklaces and waistbands with the lowers; -they stand by the roadside and offer then to passers-by,—Reprinted from "The Netherlands," edited by Dore Ogrizek. Cancer Researchers Head Improved Methods of Treatmen But Surgery_ and Radiation• Still Offer Best Chance of Cure 'EDITOR'S NOTE: Here's the second, of two articles on the proggress of cancer res1earch,w•ritten-by the Science Editor of 'tie American Cancer Society -'who recently• ` 'eompteted' a three-month survey of research supported by the Society. His in- vestigation took 'Aim to most of the - ugiverisities i and . hospitals 5 places where the Cancer Society has invested in research about $3,500,000 it collected last yeor. By PAT McGRADY Science Editor, American Cancer Society If you have a cancer which hadn't yet spread to other parts of the body, surgery is your best bet. Such cancers can be re- moved as a rule, and the cure rates are often high. - `~ If the cancer involves vital organs and the surgeon _can't cut , it out, X-rays or radium still may cure you. Surgery and radiation have been the, standard methods of curing cancer for years, And each year they become more and "More effective. - ,Specialists in cancer centres of such cities as New York, ;Boston, New Orleans, Chicago, St. Louis and San Francisco now can re- nitovd great masses of tissue and an antaziug number of important or- "gans to cut out the roots and branches of a spreading cancer. Moiillns and years later au appre- ciable percentage of these patients ace without cancer symptoms• Aird iu almost all cases—even .wItcn the cancer seeds have migrat- ed to other, parts of the body—pain is relieved and patients live relative- ly normal, routine lives for varying periods. Surgical progress has been made possible by improved anesthesias, new techniques and apparatus, con- trol of infection by antibiotics, and plentiful blood transfusions. Radiation therapy is moving ahead very quickly, too. In, such—centres as Cambridge, Chicago and New York, X-ray machines which generate 2,000,000 or more volts are hitting cancers which cannot ba reached by the scalpel or conventional X-ray. In addition to this, the patient may sit in a chair which rotates slowly while the X-rays are aimed at the tumor, Tumors thus are given a multiple of the normal X-ray dos- proportionate impairment of theie age while intervening normal tissues receive only a fraction of it—to the decided benefit of the patient. Radioactive iodine has shown tremendous powers of relieving thyroid cancer in a few cases, but other radioactive materials so far have not lived up to some of the early rosy predictions, They are not yet curing cantcer. * * A great and growing number of chemicals have comm up from the laboratories, where they have shown ill animal experiments that they do more good than harm, Testing therm on human cancer is a tedious business. Their failure to help one ]rind of cancer by no means indicates that they will be useless in other kinds as well—as it few experimenters are learning. Some chemicals declared useless last year are showing promise on other funlor types` this year. 011e of the newer efforts ie the chemical treatment' of cancer is concerned with keeping the toxicity of drugs down to a minitut m, Usti - idly when the poison is diluted so is the anti -tumor effect, - A slight start may have been made, however, A vitamin -like agent called the citrovortnn factor seems to have reduced the toxicity of one or two anti-catncer anima without power against *scar. BEST BET FOR CURE is still surgery. IF it hasn't spread, a cancer can be cut out of the body Hormones continue to be the most effective treatments for some lands of inoperable and hoeless cancers --female Ito:Inoue for eau - ter of tic prostate, stale or female hormone for cancer of the breast, a female hormone called progester. one for cancer of the uterus, corti- sone for temporary relief of acute leukemia. Modern scientists have observed that some cancers of the uterus, which resisted X-rays, became re. speusive to X-ray treatment after the patient w'a. given male or female liormore', And prof:ecterone has ahrunis up some i toperairle ur,ct' Me tumors to the point where sur. gery was possible and may have been successful \'lrpscs 4f yprious sort. u'c being turned against cancers 111 sevcra1) big renters, Every now and then a virus (like that of chicken -pox or measles) has brought drama• tic relief to certain types of can- cer; but the effect has not been last- ing. Now a variety of viruses are being tested in hope of finding coos that w111 destroy cancer --and ant the patient, A ncw•hy organized "pain clinic" in New fork has. found that 'tine It res*r, an tiii.iia rind• rl'i'Sere rfav'' ssi 'cancer can now be controlled with- out narcotics in virtually all cases. Psychiatric, problems ;associated with cancer have been uncovered and some are being solved by some scientists. These arc small steps ---int steps .ncverthelcss*toward the ronquest of cancer. With continuer' support, research will have more progress to report nest year. Rventually—no one now ran guess what—racer no longs* will be Amcriea's second most common rause of death •end' the w•orid's erueliest killer.