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Show "Plant Plant " Engineering Engineering"Would EngineeringWould " " Would Produce More MoreSatisfactory MoreSatisfactory Satisfactory CropsBotanist Crops CropsBotanist Botanist Proposes Use Useof Useof of Gi Gt Gl owtli owth Hoi HOt Hol mones Inones IIlO11CS IIlO11CSLos monesLos Los Angeles"Plant Angeles -"Plant "Plant Plant -"Plant "Plant Plant - "Plant Plant " engi engI- engIneermg engi- engi engineering engineering - - neering neermg " as an important aid aidto aidto aidto to enterprising enterprIsmg hortIculturists horticulturistswas was forecast by Dr . FrItsV Frits \V V W \ W.Went WWent . 'Vent Vent Went ' , botanist botamst of the Califor CalIfor- CalIforma Califorma California - - nia ma Institute of Technology Technologyin , m in an address here . The speaker's speakers speakcr's speakcrs ' play on . words ords does doesnot doesnot doesnot not refer refcr to mechanical mechamcal englDeermg engineering engineeringin englDeermgin in the common sense , however . Thedistinguished The ThedIstmgUlshed Thedistinguished dIstmgUlshed distinguished plant ph physiologist phslologist ) } siologist real realy really really ly ] y meant literally l1terally what he said viz , the constructive engineering engmeermg of hv- hv liv- liv hvmg living liv living - ing mg plants , with the aim of produc produc- producing producing producing - ing more satisfactoiy sahsfactOlY crops Nommally Nom Nom- Nommany Nominally - inally many mally this may mean the imking m'1kmg m1kmg m'ikmg mikmg ' ' ofbig of ofbig ofbig big plantshere plants \ where \\here here \ only little l1ttle ones oneshave oneshave oneshave have hitherto grown ; : but actually actuallyhy actuallyby actuallyby hy by indirect reaction the plan may maybrmg maybring maybring brmg bring impro\cmcnt impro cmcnt ImprOement improtcmcnt ImprO\ ImprO \ ement in quality as aswell aswell .e11 e11 well . The time tune honored methods of improving Im- Im Improvmg im improving - proving provmg on Nature's Natures ' forms of vege tege- tege tegetation . vegetation ege- ege egetatIon - tation , such as seed selection and andh andhybridization andhybridization h hybridization ) bndlzatIon , have well known kno\vn kno vn \ lim lIm- lImIbtIons limitations limitations - itations IbtIons The plant breeder often oftenproduces oftenproduces oftenproduces produces trees with superb qualIty qualityof of fruit frUlt . , , but with poor yield ; ) ield wId , poor poorreslstancc poorresistance poorresistance reslstancc resistance to pests , disease or harsh harshcum harshclimate harshclimate cum climate ate , and worst of all aU , dwarf dwarfgrowth dwarfgrowth dwarfgrowth growth habitsWould habits habitsWould Would Use Gro\\ Gro Growth Groth \ th normones Hormones . At this point pomt Dr Went p.roposes proposes p.roposesto p'roposesto proposesto ' . to use growth hormones , which whichare whichare whichare are potent organic orgamc chemical com com- compounds compounds compounds - pounds thit th'1t th1t th ' it may happen to be miss miss- missmg missing missing - ing mg in m the case at hand He con con- considers considers considers - siders it not impossible that a vege vege- vegetable vege- vege vegetable vegetable - - table dwarf of choice quality may maybe maybe maybe be led to develop to unprecedented unprecedentedsize size If hormone treatment can be bemade bemade bemade made to solve the problem of size sizeand sizeand sizeand and rate of growth , then much muchgre3ter muchgreater muchgreater gre3ter greater freedom is allowed to the theexpert theexpert theexpert expert in ill m pollination pollmatIon and hybridiza hybndlza- hybndlza hybridiza- hybndlzatIon hybridization hybridization - - tion tionThe The hormone may be adminis adminIs- adminIstered administered administered - - tered m ill the manner of either solu soluble soluble soluble ble chemical fertIlizeror fertilizer fertIlizer- - or spray , or orb orby orb b by soaking soakmg parts of plants or seeds seedsUnlIke seedsUnlike seedsUnlike UnlIke fertilizers , the hormones are areapplIed areapplied areapplied applIed only m ill extremely dIlute dIluteform diluteform diluteform form For example , the rare chem chem- chemIcal chemical chemical - - ical mdoleacetic lDdoleacetIc mdoleacehc acid , . which .hlch hlch has hase.hlblted hasexhibited hasexhibited e.hlblted ehlblted exhibited } " . high hormone potency potencymay , may be mixed mLxed with as much as 10- 10 10000 10000 10-000 10 000 , - 000 parts of \ water \ ater for use m ill soakmg soaking soakmgcuttmgs soakingcuttings soakingcuttings cuttmgs cuttings cuttmgs.hICh \ which \.hICh .hICh . one wishes to root rootrapIdly rootrapidly rootrapidly rapIdly and vigorouslyHormone vigorouslyHormone vigorously vigorouslyHormone Hormone application apphcatIon has refer refer- reference reference reference - ence to certain certam cases where it is not notpractIcal notpractical notpractical practIcal to propagate a plant from fromseed fromseed fromseed seed Such varieties are of course coursecommonly coursecommonly coursecommonly commonly grafted graftcd or budded upon uponrobust uponrobust uponrobust robust seedling seedlmg plants Unfortunate Unfortunate- Unfortunately - ly the graft junction often oiten seems to toconstItute toconstitute toconstitute constItute at least lcast a partial barner barrier barrierto barnerto to growth hormones which should shouldbe shouldbe shouldbe be passing passmg regularly regul.uly regululy . from root to totree totree totree tree top As a result many grafted graftedplants graftedplants graftedplants plants are somewhat dwarfed Arti Arti- ArtificIal Arti- Arti Artificial Artificial - - ficial application apphcatIon of hormones thus thusprovides thusprovides thusprovides provides the remedy , assuring assurmg ade ade- adequa ade- ade adequate adequate - - qua quate te growth |