Look at the lowly cranberry. He is
 a fellow of more importance than 
you imagine; in fact, he is so important 
that the matter of his respiration—oh, 
 yes, he breathes—is a subject for delicate 
and patient research on the part of an 
eminent scientist, Professor Herbert F. 
Bergman, Exchange Professor of Bot
any, from the University of Hawaii. 


The interviewer found Professor 
Bergman surrounded by cranberries and
 laboratory equipment. Through the use 
of chemical reactions he was watching 
several varieties of berries respire, determining the rates of their respiration in 
successive states of preservation. Now 
the cranberry does not breathe in a 
breath and then breathe out a breath; he 
goes us one better in that respect, for he 
does both at once all the time. And upon
 the violence of his breathing depends his 
ability to keep out of the garbage can. 
 The slower he can breathe the longer he 
can keep out. Therefore it is important 
to study his respiration, as well as the
 respiration of other fruits; and it is this
 sort of study that Professor Bergman is 
primarily engaged in. In addition to research in university laboratories, he was 
with the United States Bureau of Plant 
Industry from 1917 to 1919 working on 
problems of spoilage of fruits in trans
portation and storage. 


Professor Bergman received his edu
cation at the Kansas State Agricultural
 College, the University of Nebraska, and
 the University of Minnesota, taking the
 degrees of M.S. and Ph.D. from Minne
sota. He has taught in the Kansas State
 Agricultural College, in the North Dakota
 Agricultural College, at the University 
of Minnesota and at the University of 
Hawaii. At present he is exchange pro
fessor with Professor J. B. Pollock, who 
is now in Honolulu.


In addition to doing research work 
steadily since he became a teacher, Pro
fessor Bergman has contributed constant
ly to the literature of botany, publish
ing in various mediums. Michigan is 
indeed fortunate in his sojourn upon 
her Campus.