2—Lancaster Farming, Friday, Dec. 6, 1957
1:
U. S. Seeking Latin American Yams
For Possible Cortisone Production
Efforts to assure this country
a continuing supply of the drug
(■'bf'tlisone —needed by sufferers
asthma, and vari
ous other ailments —are being ad
vanced by plant explorations in
remote areas of Mexico and Cen
tral America, the. U S Depart
ment of Agriculture reports.
Drs E. P. Imle and H S Gen
try, scientists of USDA’s Agricul
tural Research Center, Beltsville,
Md, recently spent two months
collecting and studying wild “Dio
scorea” yams in southern Mexico,
Costa Rica, and Guatemala. The
tuberous roots of these yams are
the most abundant and readily
available source of genm and
other compounds from which cor
tisone is synthesized.
Although collections of several
species were made, primary mis
sion of the trip by plant exploi
ers Imle and Gentry was to inves
tigate the possibilities of select
ing wild strains of the plants for
BELMONT
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cultivation in this country and
elsewhere
These wild yams are the source
of complicated compounds that
are widely used in the develop
ment of new hormone-like drugs.
But USD A scientists, local gov
ernmental agencies in Mexico
and Central America, and drug
manufacturers are concerned that
the wild supply may eventually
become exhausted.
In Mexico alone, annual col
lections exceed 30,000 tons of
fresh tubers, or almost 6,000 tons
of dried tuber material; The
United States is the largest single
consumer of refined products
,made from these tubers.
USDA researchers have estab
lished experimental plantings of
these yams in the southern United
States So far, however, they have
not succeeded in obtaining under
cultivation the high genm content
found in some wild plants.
Roots and seeds of a number of
plants, representing several spe
cies were brought back to this
country as a result of the latest
expedition. These include “Dio
scorea composita”, which is being
heavily exploited in Mexico; “Dio
scorea flonbunda”, which grows
extensively in Guatemala; and
“Dioscorea spiculiflora”, which is
found in limited quantities appar
ently only in Mexico.
One selection of “Dioscorea
composita” assayed 13 per cent
diosgenin a coi tisone-starting
material which is the highest
content yet found by USDA work
ers. Unfortunately, no live mate
rial of this exceptionally high
yielding individual plant survived
in experimental plantings A yield
of five per cent diosgenin is con
sidered good in commercial pros
essing of most tuber material.
Among selections of “Dioscorea
spiculiflora” are some that show
promise of being adaptable to
cultivation, the drug-crop special
ists say. Some plants of this spe
cies have been found growing
without vine supports Most other
species grow best only in partial
shade and require some special
supports for the vines.
O^QyjOezeJ
-OJhQ.-
2_y~\ ~ aXv~\_a
Arbor Acres Farm,
n
JHL I SIXTY I
HANSEN'S LEGHORN CITY
Conn
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It’s The Law
“It’s the Law” with simple an
swers is offered by LANCASTER
FARMING in cooperation with
the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
General interest questions are
welcomed, and will be answered
as soon as possible. Letters must
be signed. Answer will not be
published on a specified, re
quested day. Questions cannot be
answered by mail, and LANCAS
TER FARMING will reject any in
quiry which is not of general pub
lic interest. Address all inquiries
to “It’s the Law,” LANCASTER
FARMING, Quarryville, Pa. (Fic
titious initials will be used to pro
tect the identity of the questions).
Q If a man marries using his
stepfather’s name, is the marriage
legal if he was never adopted
M R.
A The marriage is certainly
legal, but the man should either
go through the necessary proce
durer to have his named changed
by court decree, or else resume
the use of his proper name, and
request the Bureau of Vital Statis
tics to amend the marriage record
accordingly.
Complications will eventually
arise in connection with such mat
ters as obtaining employment, ob
taining a passport, entering child
ren in school, and other situations
where proof of birth and of mar
riage are needed, and the matter
should be adiusted promptly.
Q Is it possible to find out if a
persori is married if you know the
date and the state where the mar
riage was supposed to have taken
place’ If so, how‘ >
A Such information can some
times be obtained by addressing
an inquiry, setting forth all known
particulars at fhe Capitol of the
state where the marriage took
place.
Q By forging my name, my
husband secured a loan from the
bank with which we deal. It was
for $7OO to be used to pay gamb
ling debts. What can I do to pre
vent this happening again? C. H.
A. Pointing out to your husband
the possible consequences of his
criminal act should be a sufficient
deterrent to his forging your
name again. Forgery is a felony
for which a person, upon convic
tion, can be sentenced to pay a
fine not exceeding $5OOO, or un
dergo imprisonment for a term
not exceeding 10 years.
Q. Your reply to a legal prob
lem recently published indicated
that alimony has been abolished
in Pennsylvania. What provisions
are made for the support of an ex
wife under Pennsylvania divorce?
—M. T.
A. Once divorced, a husband’s
duty to support his wife ceases
unless the wife is insane, in which
case the court has power to decree
alimony for support of the insane
wife during the term of her natur
al life.
Dead Animals
Removed
Promptly
Will Pay Full Value
For Dead Animals
Dealers in
Bones, Tallow
and Hides
FRY’S
RENDERING
WORKS
Prop., John Fry
2114 Hollinger RD.
Lancaster
Ph. EX 2-4815
Toll Charges Accepted
Jayces'Lauded* ,
For Farmer
Recognition
State Secretary of Agriculture
William L Henning Friday com
mended the Pennsylvania Junior
Chamber of Commerce for devel
oping a program to honor out
standing young farmers of the
State.
“We, in agriculture, are indeed
encouraged by the Jaycees de
cision to recognize our agricul
ture leaders of tomorrow,” he de
clared.
The Jaycees have begun a
search of the Commonwealth for
farmers between the ages of 21
and 36 who have made outstand
ing contributions to both agricul
ture and community.
“Such a program deserves great
attention in these days of mis
siles, satellites and scientific ad
vancements which threaten to
take so much away from our grass
roots way of life*” Secretary
Henning said
He pointed out that young
farmers should be recognized for
their contributions to the econ
omy of the nation and for their
parts in tnaking their home com
munities better places in which
to live
Each of the-188 Jaycee chap
ters in the State has been urged
to select a young farmer through
local contests The winner will be
entered in a statewide contest to
determine the three most deseiv
ing young farmers in the State,
one of whom will represent Penn
sylvania in a national contest
early in 1958.
J. C,
MUSSER
Leghorn Chicks
For Large White Eggs
DONEGAL
WHITE CROSS
For Broiler Chicks
"Direct from the Sreedef"
MOUNT JOY, PA.
Phone Mt. Joy OL 3-1911
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Farm Calendar.
Mon., Dec. 9
4-H Ayrshire Club—B p.m. at
the home of Stanly Kreider
4-H County Council Christmas
Party—B p.m at the home of Miss
Linda Mumma, Rl Manheim.
Tractor Clinic —4 p m. at Farm
Show Bid, Harrisburg.
Fruit Growers Annual Meeting
—8 pm at Farm Bureau Coopera
te e Carl Bittner will show color
pictures on fruit production in
California He will discuss effec
tive fruit production in Lancaster
County
Tues., Dec. 10
Twenty-fifth annual meeting of
the Producers Co-operative Ex
change, Coatesville meeting
stmts at 10 a m.
Wed., Dec. 11
4 H Guernsey Club
Red Rose 4-H Baby Beef and
Lamb Club.
Thurs., Dec. 12
Farm Business Outlook Phnel
—7 30 m atp Farm Bureau Co
operative Three PSU economists
will discuss the outlook m produc
tion and marketing
4-H Holstein Club Christmas
Party—at the home of George
Rutt, R 1 Stevens
Sat, Dec. 14
Octorara Farmers’ Club—at the
home of D E. Weicksel, R 1 Chris
tiana
Economical
WARMTH
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