The mysterious story of tomatoes ЁЯНЕ & cigarettes ЁЯЪм
An interesting scientific story discussed by Kenneth M. Smith (1892-1981) who is considered to be one of the pioneers of the scientific field of тАШVirologyтАЩ. Long thread, Enjoy the Sunday reading ЁЯША1/n

In his 1943 book, Smith wrote about a story of two American tobacco farmers, one of whom was much troubled by outbreaks of tobacco mosaic disease in his crops, while the other managed to keep his plants fairly clear of the trouble. 2/n
Furthermore, the first farmer noticed that the infection tended to occur in a straight line (tobacco mosaic is very infectious disease & it is not insect-transmitted). So, Smith assumed that the disease seemed to follow the movements of the farmworkers who tended the plants. 3/n
It seemed likely, therefore, that they were the transmitting agents. Closer inquiry into the personal habits of the farmworkers revealed the fact that several of them indulged in the practice of chewing tobacco, & herein, lies the clue to the mosaic infection. 4/n
The virus of tobacco mosaic is one of the most stable & resistant viruses known, & some brands of chewing tobacco are not subjected in the curing process to sufficiently high temperatures or other treatments which would destroy the virus. 5/n
In consequence the farmworkers who chewed tobacco were liable to have virus on their hands or implements & the transfer of the virus to the plants under their care was therefore an easy matter. 6/n
Now this virus of tobacco mosaic is capable of causing disease in many other plants such as tobacco, producing a disease known as tomato mosaic. Tomato mosaic was the cause of serious loss to growers every year. 7/n
Frequently a tomato-farmer came to Smith & complained that in spite of all his efforts the disease reappears every year in his glasshouse crops of tomatoes. 8/n
Smith asked about the precautions he had taken & he replied that his glasshouses had been cleaned, the soil sterilized, seed obtained from a new source, houses fumigated & so on. 9/n
Then Smith asked if he has asked his farmworkers to stop smoking cigarettes while they tended the tomato plants? The farmer said тАУ No, he didnтАЩt know that mattered; Smith explained that - it does matter, quite a lot. 10/n
Because many brands of cigarettes & pipe tobacco contain the virus of tobacco mosaic in an infective state, & it is easy to contaminate hands with virus while holding the cigarettes & then gradually the transfer of virus to the plants. 11/n
It takes only to infect a few tomato plants in a greenhouse holding several thousand plants; after that the virus is passed on from plant to plant on the hands of the workers during routine tending of the crop, so that before the end of the season,... 12/n
every plant in the greenhouse may be infected. So he suggested the farmer, that he tells his cigarette smoking farmworkers who tend tomato plants, to wash their hands thoroughly with soap & hot water before they start work, & never smoke whilst they are tending the crop. 13/End

More from History

THREAD: Meditations on marriage metaphors in Ruth

The book of Ruth is, of course, a story about a beautiful marriage. But even before the courtship and the wedding and the important genealogy at the end, we find interesting language that is strikingly reminiscent of Genesis 2:24


That important verse reads:

'Therefore a man shall leave [╫Щ╓╖╓╜╫в╓▓╫Ц╓╕╫С] his father and his mother and hold fast [╫Х╓░╫У╓╕╫С╓╖╓г╫з] to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.'

The verb ╫в╫Ц╫С can be quite strong in force. For example, Joseph leaves behind [╫Х╓╖╫Щ╓╖╓╝╫в╓▓╫Ц╓╣╓д╫С] his garment as he flees from Pharaoh's wife's sexual advances. Countless times, Israel is depicted abandoning the LORD, for example in Judg 2:12 [╫Х╓╖╫Щ╓╖╓╝╫в╓╖╫Ц╓░╫С╓Ю╫Х╓╝], and going after other gods.

Likewise, the verb ╫У╫С╫з is rather striking. Lot is mortified of disaster overtaking him [╫к╓┤╓╝╫У╓░╫С╓╕╓╝╫з╓╖╓е╫а╓┤╫Щ] as he flees from Sodom. Israel is commanded in Deut 10:20 to cling fast [╫к╓┤╫У╓░╫С╓╕╓╝╓Ф╫з] to the LORD and serve him and swear by his name.

Together they illustrate how radical God designed marriage to be. Marriage is a real severing of family relations in order to form a new, permanent bond with another human being.

Something very similar to this takes places in Ruth's life.

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рд╣рд┐рдорд╛рд▓рдп рдкрд░реНрд╡рдд рдХреА рдПрдХ рдмрдбрд╝реА рдкрд╡рд┐рддреНрд░ рдЧреБрдлрд╛ рдереАредрдЙрд╕ рдЧреБрдлрд╛ рдХреЗ рдирд┐рдХрдЯ рд╣реА рдЧрдВрдЧрд╛ рдЬреА рдмрд╣рддреА рдереАредрдПрдХ рдмрд╛рд░ рджреЗрд╡рд░реНрд╖рд┐ рдирд╛рд░рдж рд╡рд┐рдЪрд░рдг рдХрд░рддреЗ рд╣реБрдП рд╡рд╣рд╛рдВ рдЖ рдкрд╣реБрдВрдЪреЗредрд╡рд╣ рдкрд░рдо рдкрд╡рд┐рддреНрд░ рдЧреБрдлрд╛ рдирд╛рд░рдж рдЬреА рдХреЛ рдЕрддреНрдпрдВрдд рд╕реБрд╣рд╛рд╡рдиреА рд▓рдЧреАредрд╡рд╣рд╛рдВ рдХрд╛ рдордиреЛрд░рдо рдкреНрд░рд╛рдХреГрддрд┐рдХ рджреГрд╢реНрдп,рдкрд░реНрд╡рдд,рдирджреА рдФрд░ рд╡рди рджреЗрдЦ рдЙрдирдХреЗ рд╣реГрджрдп рдореЗрдВ рд╢реНрд░реАрд╣рд░рд┐ рд╡рд┐рд╖реНрдгреБ рдХреА рднрдХреНрддрд┐ рдЕрддреНрдпрдВрдд рдмрд▓рд╡рддреА рд╣реЛ рдЙрдареАред


рдФрд░ рджреЗрд╡рд░реНрд╖рд┐ рдирд╛рд░рдж рд╡рд╣реАрдВ рдмреИрдардХрд░ рддрдкрд╕реНрдпрд╛ рдореЗрдВ рд▓реАрди рд╣реЛ рдЧрдПредрдЗрдиреНрджреНрд░ рдирд╛рд░рдж рдХреА рддрдкрд╕реНрдпрд╛ рд╕реЗ рдШрдмрд░рд╛ рдЧрдПредрдЙрдиреНрд╣реЗрдВ рд╣рдореЗрд╢рд╛ рдХреА рддрд░рд╣ рдЕрдкрдирд╛ рд╕рд┐рдВрд╣рд╛рд╕рди рд╡ рд╕реНрд╡рд░реНрдЧ рдЦреЛрдиреЗ рдХрд╛ рдбрд░ рд╕рддрд╛рдиреЗ рд▓рдЧрд╛редрдЗрд╕рд▓рд┐рдП рдЗрдиреНрджреНрд░ рдиреЗ рдирд╛рд░рдж рдХреА рддрдкрд╕реНрдпрд╛ рднрдВрдЧ рдХрд░рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдХрд╛рдорджреЗрд╡ рдХреЛ рдЙрдирдХреЗ рдкрд╛рд╕ рднреЗрдЬ рджрд┐рдпрд╛редрд╡рд╣рд╛рдВ рдкрд╣реБрдВрдЪ рдХрд╛рдорджреЗрд╡ рдиреЗ рдЕрдкрдиреА рдорд╛рдпрд╛ рд╕реЗ рд╡рд╕рдВрддрдЛрддреБ рдХреЛ рдЙрддреНрдкрдиреНрди рдХрд░ рджрд┐рдпрд╛ред


рдкреЗрдбрд╝ рдФрд░ рдкреМрдзреЛрдВ рдкрд░ рд░рдВрдЧ рдмрд┐рд░рдВрдЧреЗ рдлреВрд▓ рдЦрд┐рд▓ рдЧрдП рдФрд░ рдХреЛрдпрд▓реЗрдВ рдХреВрдХрдиреЗ рд▓рдЧреА,рдкрдХреНрд╖реА рдЪрд╣рдХрдиреЗ рд▓рдЧреЗредрд╢реАрддрд▓,рдордВрдж,рд╕реБрдЧрдВрдзрд┐рдд рдФрд░ рд╕реБрд╣рд╛рд╡рдиреА рд╣рд╡рд╛ рдЪрд▓рдиреЗ рд▓рдЧреАредрд░рдВрднрд╛ рдЖрджрд┐ рдЕрдкреНрд╕рд░рд╛рдПрдВ рдирд╛рдЪрдиреЗ рд▓рдЧреАрдВ редрдХрд┐рдиреНрддреБ рдХрд╛рдорджреЗрд╡ рдХреА рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рдорд╛рдпрд╛ рдХрд╛ рдирд╛рд░рдж рдкреЗ рдХреЛрдИ рдкреНрд░рднрд╛рд╡ рдирд╣реАрдВ рдкрдбрд╝рд╛редрддрдм рдХрд╛рдорджреЗрд╡ рдХреЛ рдбрд░ рд╕рддрд╛рдиреЗ рд▓рдЧрд╛ рдХрд┐ рдХрд╣реАрдВ рдирд╛рд░рдж рдХреНрд░реЛрдз рдореЗрдВ рдЖрдХрд░ рдореБрдЭреЗ рд╢реНрд░рд╛рдк рди рджреЗрджреЗрдВред

рдЬреИрд╕реЗ рд╣реА рдирд╛рд░рдж рдиреЗ рдЕрдкрдиреА рдЖрдВрдЦреЗрдВ рдЦреЛрд▓реА, рдЙрд╕реА рдХреНрд╖рдг рдХрд╛рдорджреЗрд╡ рдиреЗ рдЙрдирд╕реЗ рдХреНрд╖рдорд╛ рдорд╛рдВрдЧреАредрдирд╛рд░рдж рдореБрдирд┐ рдХреЛ рддрдирд┐рдХ рднреА рдХреНрд░реЛрдз рдирд╣реАрдВ рдЖрдпрд╛ рдФрд░ рдЙрдиреНрд╣реЛрдиреЗ рд╢реАрдШреНрд░ рд╣реА рдХрд╛рдорджреЗрд╡ рдХреЛ рдХреНрд╖рдорд╛ рдХрд░ рджрд┐рдпрд╛редрдХрд╛рдорджреЗрд╡ рдкреНрд░рд╕рдиреНрди рд╣реЛрдХрд░ рд╡рд╣рд╛рдВ рд╕реЗ рдЪрд▓реЗ рдЧрдПредрдХрд╛рдорджреЗрд╡ рдХреЗ рдЪрд▓реЗ рдЬрд╛рдиреЗ рдкрд░ рджреЗрд╡рд░реНрд╖рд┐ рдХреЗ рдорди рдореЗрдВ рдЕрд╣рдВрдХрд╛рд░ рдЖ рдЧрдпрд╛ рдХрд┐ рдореИрдиреЗ рдХрд╛рдорджреЗрд╡ рдХреЛ рд╣рд░рд╛ рджрд┐рдпрд╛ред

рдирд╛рд░рдж рдлрд┐рд░ рдХреИрд▓рд╛рд╢ рдЬрд╛ рдкрд╣реБрдВрдЪреЗ рдФрд░ рд╢рд┐рд╡рдЬреА рдХреЛ рдЕрдкрдиреА рд╡рд┐рдЬрдпрдЧрд╛рдерд╛ рд╕реБрдирд╛рдИредрд╢рд┐рд╡ рд╕рдордЭ рдЧрдП рдХрд┐ рдирд╛рд░рдж рдЕрд╣рдВрдХрд╛рд░реА рд╣реЛ рдЧрдП рд╣реИрдВ рдФрд░ рдЕрдЧрд░ рдпреЗ рдмрд╛рдд рд╡рд┐рд╖реНрдгреБ рдЬреА рдЬрд╛рди рдЧрдП рддреЛ рдирд╛рд░рдж рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдЕрдЪреНрдЫрд╛ рдирд╣реАрдВ рд╣реЛрдЧрд╛редрдпреЗ рд╕реЛрдЪрдХрд░ рд╢рд┐рд╡рдЬреА рдиреЗ рдирд╛рд░рдж рдХреЛ рднрдЧрд╡рди рд╡рд┐рд╖реНрдгреБ рдХреЛ рдпреЗ рдмрд╛рдд рдмрддрд╛рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓реАрдП рдордирд╛ рдХрд┐рдпрд╛ред рдкрд░рдВрддреБ рдирд╛рд░рдж рдЬреА рдХреЛ рдпреЗ рдмрд╛рдд рдЙрдЪрд┐рдд рдирд╣реАрдВ рд▓рдЧреАред