WEEK OF NOVEMBER 5,1989 Station Notes Take your best guesses at identifying the masked revelers, then check the photo captions at the bottom of the page for the correct IDs. v jjip v j v8jq puv si9Mjqoi9r[ Luvj{ ‘uimtj pg puv ‘(fl4dpiS9jd jaiuuoJ j9tf)0UD sv) simpj n vpl puv luvqjoQ z u w jg ‘ijjaw ru y £puv$ Jo out zqj .‘8 u o j fouvtf puv 9p3uq 3qrif ^Vvl uoopvq .‘U3SJOq u g SV1JD‘uw8v juapisdjd jouuoJ z q j '(d vp q u p v Suijvjqzpo svm. oq/w) s m g qog ‘uosuzpuy dpr\[ (jq8u doj jv) .‘auoojy 9oruq puv vso}j3Q fyjvji susznizp \]V]{ uvpuof .‘zuvjj qog uoioauiQ dn 8upfovq SuiU/WOQ UOQ 9UOJ3 .‘}U2piS2jd UdlUUOj UMOUOf-JJSM v qjiM SuipsiA. (Lpoouvq Z17 puv uapv/h 8by .‘puvsMBOJS PQ uzqoou qund qjiM. 8upjvqo 8uvjj 8uo£ (jJaj) wojjoq 01 doj uiouj ‘spnjoui sojoqd aqx PLANT PATH CHAIRMAN SAYS SOVIET AGRICULTURE SUFFERING Herb Aldwinckle, who recently returned from a trip to the Soviet Union to gather samples of plant species from behind the Iron Curtain, also gathered some economic impressions of the U.S.S.R. agricultural scene. "I'm not an economist, but it's easy to see that the Soviet Union lags far behind the United States and other countries in agricultural production and technology," Aldwinckle said. He was a host to a Soviet scientific delegation that visited the Station last year and one of three scientists invited to the U.S.S.R. for a return visit as part of an overall improvement in east-west relations. "There is an enormous difference in food stores there. Markets are small by our standards and both fresh and processed foods are limited in quality, supply and appeal," Aldwinckle said. OPEN ENROLLMENT PERMITS CHANGES IN LIFE INSURANCE November has been designated an open enrollment period for supplemental group life insurance offered through the university. A new rate structure eliminates the previous structure that reflected large premium increases at certain age plateaus. Employees may, if they wish, increase their coverage to up to five times the amount of their annual salary. No proof of health is required during this enrollment. An informational packet is to be mailed from Cornell/Ithaca, however the mailing date is not currently known. Aldwinckle stressed the cooperative attitude of the people he and his colleagues, Beth Dixon, an apple taxonomist from Cornell, and Dr. Calvin Sperling of the USDA in Beltsville, Md., met during their travels, encountering "sincere friendliness" everywhere. They spent most of their time in the southeastern section of the Soviet Union near the Afganistan border, 100 miles from the People's Republic of China and 2,000 miles from Moscow. The primary purpose of the trip was to upgrade collections of wild apple and other species of plants including apricots, wild grapes, lentils, onions and some nuts, mostly in the form of seeds. The seeds will be cultivated, analyzed, and made available to growers and breeders through Germplasm Resources. Some 200 samples were obtained by the trio, including 6,000 apple seeds, for possible future use in improving plant varieties in the U.S. Aldwinckle theorizes that the Soviet Union's meager supply of fruit and vegetable products for its people is attributable to two major factors... one the socio-economic system and the other the fault of misguided leadership. "Under the Stalin and Kruschev regimes beginning with the late 30s and into the 60s, a scientist named Trofim Lysenko was in charge of the state's agricultural research programs,"he said. "Lysenko firmly believed that plants would eventually adapt to stressful conditions brought about by pests, weather and other factors. He was convinced that plants could be 'trained' to survive and produce. This, of course, is not the case. "Thus, for nearly two generations, no selective breeding programs were undertaken," Aldwinckle said. He is of the opinion that this scientific misconception on Lysenko's part, coupled with the existing "state farm" economic system, has severely damaged the U.S.S.R.'s position in the world's agricultural marketplace. "When farmers, processors, distributors and retailers know their paycheck is coming from the state, irrespective of how hard they work, or whether or not their goods are good, there simply is no incentive to improve food quality," he said. "Free enterprise just doesn't seem to exist." In other reflections of his fourweek trip, Aldwinckle said: • Lines of customers purchasing food and many other items are common and long, but the cost of living is not particularly high. • The Soviet Union's climate is ideal for the production of many crops. However almost all citrus crops must be imported. • At one point in recent history, the Soviet government destroyed many vineyards to cut down on alcoholic beverage production nationally. Production of vodka was similarly reduced by mandate It was convinced that its population was collectively developing a drinking problem. Now, only imported wine is available in many restaurants. • Scientists are knowledgable and anxious to improve their country's food supply, but they are hampered by poor, rudimentary technological research facilities. • With no "family farmers" for more than a half-century, the Soviet people have victually lost their ties to the land. GET CREDIT UNION ITEMS AT PERSONNEL OFFICE Appointment calendars for the coming year, suitable for desktop or wall use, together with some other items such as auto litter bags, pens, etc., may still be picked up free at the Personnel Office, Jordan Hall. STATION PEOPLE HAVE NOW WORKED DAYS WITHOUT A LOST TIME ACCIDENT ft great chance to pictf up holiday gifts fo r your family, neighbors and friends! Christmas cksiltsstove and ‘BOO'KiSSLL'E coming Saturday, 9\{pvemSer 11 Jordan Jdall ftuditorium Odours 10 am-3 pm. IFood and beverages available in the Jordan Odall thirdfloor area. M any hard-to f in d craft items. Bool^sale proceeds to benefit Station Library. SEMINARS HORTICULTURAL SCIENCES Date: Time: Flace: Speaker: Topic: Thursday, November 9 11:00 am Food Science Conference Room Dr. Bob Linderman USDA Plant Pathologist Oregon State Univ., Corvallis Rhizosphere dynamics in relation to crop production. APPLES AVAILABLE Several bins of apples will be in the courtyard of Hedrick Hall beginning at 3:00 pm on Friday, November 3, for Station employees. LIBRARY NEWS The following books and journals are missing from the Library and are urgently needed. Please check your office and laboratory shelves and return to the Library, Jordan Hall: 581.87 P69j 634.9 Sa7 634.9 H81 581.1 C86 574.805 J82 Plant Molecular Biology vol. 5-6, 1985-1986 Sylva of North America by C. Sargent 14 volumes The American Woods by Hough and Beck. 6 volumes Critical Reviews in Plant Science Vol. 3-4, 1985-1986 Journal of Cell Biology Vol. 107, No. 6, Pt. 3, 1988 TENNIS LADDER No matches played. 325 Ken Bell 209 Joe Kovach 240 Ed Lavin 361 Wendell Roelofs 265 Ed Woodams 352 Tony Shelton 325 Donna Gray [233 Jim Cummins] 364 Jim Oltea 206 Curt Pctzoldt 393 Jim McFerson 338 Pirn Lersson 239 Bruce Reisch 345 Chris Hoffman 312 Tom Burr 399 Alan Lakso 345 Tim Dennehy 392 Martin Goffinet POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND PEOPLE Who's new? Richard Thompson is a new technician working with Roxanne Broadway in Entomology. Retiree to be honored: A dinner honoring Harold Hebding, who retired October 12 after more than 30 years of service with the Department of Entomology, will be held Sunday, November 19, at the Geneva Country Club. Anyone interested in attending the dinner or contributing towards a gift for Harold should contact Janice Allen, Entomology, ext. 323. Station Club calendars available: 1990 Station Club linen calendars are now available. The price is $4.00 each and they are available in the B&P office. Hats ($6.00) and T-shirts ($7.00) are also available. These make great Christmas gifts for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list. , CALENDAR OF EVENTS W ednesday, November 8, 4:00 p.m., director's office, Geneva department chairs' meeting CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE: 1980 Mazda GLC. 5 speed winter rat. $400 or best offer. Call Helene at x376 or 2535001 (pm). FREE: Wooden exterior door, 32" x 84". Good condition. Call Joe Shail at x225 or 526-5497. FOR RENT: Furnished house. Approx. Jan. 15 to July 15 only. Large backyard, 3-4 bedrooms, 2 baths, lots of room, 1 mile from Station. Contact Bruce Reisch at x239 or 789-7104. FOR SALE: 4-bedroom home on Lyceum Street, Geneva. Large city lot, 1-1/2 baths, gumwood trim throughout, built-in china cabinet in dining room, wall-to-wall carpet, new front porch and black-top driveway. Many other features too numerous to list. $69,900. Contact Dick Schading at x249 or 7892022.