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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1951-07-12, Page 7MALEIC ,IIY.l:)RAZIDE! 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 MH 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. * * • Sugar -beet fanners 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, MH might be the answer to that one as well. Maleic hydrazide is a new chemi- cal that you simply spray on tuber crops SOMETIME B EF Q R E HARVEST. 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 prehar- 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 MH -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." While testing a number of chemi- cals, S. H. Wittwer, 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 used as a preharvest fo- liage spray to prevent sprouting. First tests were on onions; later potatoes, carrots, garden beets, par- snips, turnips, rutabagas and sugar beets, All experiments were uni- formly successful. * * * "I have seldom seen tests when results were so• nearly perfect as those with maleic hydrazide," Witt- wer commented. "We could hardly believe then 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 came 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 2500 parts of MH per million parts of water either four or six weeks before harvest refused to sprout during eight months of storage at 57 degrees F. Even with 1000 parts per million there was little evidence of sprout :growth. There was no effect on yield of the sprayed crop. * * * ' Onion tests were as convincing, with trials even more conclusive as they have been conducted for two years. The same can be said for carrots, garden beets, parsnips and turnips. a: * *. 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 MH 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 10. There was no evidence that sprout- ing would occur in the near future, and all treated onions were as sound as when they crone out of the ground. Several large commercial grow- ers in Michigan and Indiana have made tests of their own, and all are enthusiastic. Several are order- ing spray for larger acreages this coming season, s: * * To learn what maleic hydrazide would do for stored beets, two lots of 5% 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 much heating took place. Sugar -content tests were taken before and after storage. * * * Most 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 degrees cooler through- out the 35 days of storage, is q: K: If the new spray continues to 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 keeping qualities. Retailers will 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 mild- er high-quality types which, in the past, have kept poorly in storage. * * . * 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 make bet- ter chips even though the potatoes have been in storage for some time. 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 ill effects, and the consumers could detect no change in flavor. * * * Other vegetables are soon to un- dergo tests, Sweet corn and peas are next: Both break down quickly after harvest and 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—ln 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. 1—hand-hold- ing and baby -kissing. He's greeting a future voter during a ceremony at Mont Valerien, com- memorating French Resistance fighters ICIled there by Nazis during World War II, EEN if 4, Goidon S>nt.ft. 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 hint 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 them in 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 alysum, candytuft, California poppy and portulaca may be thinly broadcast and very lightly raked in. Where space is ready in the flow- er border, seeds may be sown di- rectly. For a mixed grouping, four or. five seeds are placed in stations spaced according to the size of the plants when grown. The seedlings from each clump are thinned domes to one as soon as possible. In cases where the space is not yet available but . will be before the summer is over, seeds ghouid be sown in a prepared seed bad in order to have the plants on hand to fill gaps later on. The seedlings are 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. * * c: 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 making sowings at about two- week intervals up 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 inches apart and cover - Wilt -two two inches deep. Soon after germination the plants should he 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 good vegetables 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 good crop r tender heads before frost. Purple cauliflower loses its unusual color- ing when cooked, and some people consider it more delicious than the white. Brussels sprouts are hardier cats StantelpiUreble tryst. These all need soil weft enriched with organic material. Chinese cabbage is an excellent salad plant for late use, Mid -July is time enough to sow the seed. Started earlier, plants may bolt to seed instead of heading up. Seed- lings transplant readily. F ighty—This unusual hat is one of a group of feathered toppers displayed in the "Millinery From Holland" show at the Netherlands Chamber of Com- coerce, The luxuriant appear- ance results from the removal of the coarse central quill, leav- ing only the soft barbs to shape the hat. There is still time to snake a planting of an early variety of sweet corn, which is never better than when gathered and taken di- rectly to a waiting pot on the kit- chen stove. The midget varieties fit: welin limited space. Rhubarb chard is decorative in the garden, and a sowing at ttris. ; time will supply quality greens well into the fall. Lettuce may be sown in early August; the loose -leaved varieties are likely to be best. Tulips In olla.nd At three o'clock each day a train steams into Amsterdam station, "the flower train." Each day, int the early morning, on the roads to The Hague and Leyden, cycles can 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 Holland can be, it is far from exhausting the richness of the Haarlem fields. Bulbs for ex- port are ripened and selected, new 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 im- 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 times their shape, size and colour. Lech new variety was paid the price of gold, In the records of Haarlem or Alkmaar are found deeds of sales which make one dream. The prices are fabulous and often money was insufficient. Some gave pairs of pure Friesland horses with their harness in order to pay ror them; others gave houses, par -les, etc, Qq v�i'jety 1, ears tilt name a brewer, vv io, 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, "La Tulipe Noire" ("The Black Tulip"). These tulips were impossible 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 of a rich Amsterdam mer- chant who, in order to be fashion- able, had bought six bulbs of a rare variety. He left them on a table in his sitting room; his ser- vant, who probably cani.e from some distant province where the bulbs were not grown, was amazed to see onions on a sitting -room" table; so she took then to the kitchen, peeled them and put them in the stew. The story does not go on to say whether her master enjoyed his meal or not, .. . The polder land, divided up in squares by the, narrow canals like a chessboard, in springtime is like a coloured rug whence rises a sweet perfume. Stretches of golden yellow, fiery red, snow white, where sometimes a boat sail can are seen gliding clown an invisible stream. Little girls make necklaces and waistbands with the flowers; they stand by the roadside and offer them to passers-by.—Reprinted from "The Netherlands," edited by Dore Ogrizek. Cancer Researchers Find improved ethods of Treattrien� but Surgery and Radiation Still Offer EDITOR'S MOTE: Here's the second of two articles on the progress of cancer research, written by the Science Editor of the American Cancer Society who recently completed a three-month survey of research supported by the Society. His in- vestigation took him to most of the universities and hospitals in places where the Cancer Society has invested in research about $3,500,000 it collected last year. By PAT McGRADY Science Editor, American Cancer Society If you have a cancer which hasn'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- move great masses of tissue and an amazing number of important or- gans to cut out the roots and branches of a spreading cancer. Months and years later au appre- ciable percentage of these patients are without cancer symptoms. * And in almost all cases—even when 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. Tn such centres as Cambridge, Chicago and New York, X-ray machines which generate 2,000,000 or more volts are hitting cancers which cannot be reached by the scalpel or conventional X-ray, in addition to this, the patient may sit in a chair which rotates slowly whild the X-rays are alined at the tumor, Tumors thus ate given a multiple of the normal X-ray dos - proportionate impairment' of their 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 cancer. A great and growing number of chemicals have come up from the laboratories, where they have shown in animal experiments that they do more good than harm. Testing them on human cancer is a tedious business. Their failure to help one kind of cancer by no means indicates that they will be useless in other kinds as well—as a few experimenters are learning. Sonie chemicals declared useless last year are showing promise on other tumor types this year. One of the newer efforts in the chemical treatment of cancer is concerned with keeping the toxjeity of drugs down to a minimum, Usu- ally 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 cltrovorum factor seems to have reduced the toxicity of one or two anti-cancer drugs n ithont power against cancer. est (hance of Cure BEST BET FOR CURE is still surgery. If it hasn't spread, a Idornioncs continue to 11e the most effective treatments for some kinds of inoperable and hoeless cancers—female hormone for can- cer of the prostate, male or female hormone for cancer of the breast, a female hormone called progester- one kr c rlcr of the uterus, corti- sone for temporary relief of acute leukemia. t ''stwseses.. Modern scientists have obser eti that SOMC cancers of the moru% which resisted X-rays, became re- sponsive to X-ray treatment after the patient was given male or female hormones. And pt'ot;csicroee has shrunk up soiue inopei'at'le rite' cancer can be cut out of the body. enc tumors po4iiflj ydieSe sur- gery teas piissible and may have been successful. Viruses of various sort; are being ttu'ticd against ea.nce'S i ee}'rang 1iig centres. .EVUT. t? then a virus (like that of chicken pox or measles) has brought drama- tic relief to certain types of can- cel.; an- cc ; but the effect 1Ix5 not r,nen la t - j i . NQS; t aricty of viruses ar` e being fested in horse of findit:g some that will destroy cancer --and not the patient, A newly organized "line, clinic" in New Tork lies found tfiat the ;error, angui.', and discomfort of cancer can now be controlled with•• out narcotics in virtually all .arcs Psychiatric problems t ;Dented with cancer bay 'nen niicovered > :sly ate bring it -Overt b • y some Scientists, Tbt{scse small step:—but steps never thcles !-"ttttarcl the conquest of enures, IvVith s i'l,linnvd support, research ,will have 'more progress te report next year l;vicetually---no ene now can guess when ---cancer no longer will be America's second most common cause of dear', r,t the iso .lc:'s cruellest kille..