Thursday, April 23, 2009

Houston scientists milk cow genome for its secrets

"Houston scientists have sequenced the genome of a single Hereford cow, opening the barnyard door to a future where insight rather than chance guides domestic breeding.

Understanding the genetics of bovines should allow breeders to build a better cow by selecting genes for everything from disease resistance to improved milk production and meat marbling, scientists say."

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Thursday, April 23, 2009 Home and Garden Story

New York’s Roses, Home to Root

"IN the cold mist one morning in early April, Stephen Scanniello planted Harison’s Yellow — a rose bred in the 1830s by a reclusive New York lawyer, George Folliott Harison — at the Trinity Cemetery on the corner of Broadway and 153rd Street in Harlem, a stone’s throw from Mr. Harison’s grave.

Mr. Scanniello, a dedicated rosarian, explained that he 'wanted to celebrate the horticultural history of New York City' by planting a collection of the old roses that grew up with the city itself, including some bred by New Yorkers buried in the cemetery. 'What better place than with Mr. Harison watching over his rose?' he asked."

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