The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-09-07
VEGETABLE IMMIGRANTS.
Some Interesting Points About AgricuItu-
raj Department Work.

Some Interesting Points About Agricultu-
raj Department Work.
1--WE are constantly experimenting with plants
which we receive from foreign countries" said
Superintendent MT Saunders, of the Agricultural
Department, "and studying their adaptabity to
our own climate and soil. Not infrequently we
succeed in introducing some plant which is
found to be Of considerable value in some sec
tions of the country. For instance, the Russian
apple was introduced here in 1871. and since then
has become recognized and widely spread va
riety. 1t is found to be suited to many parts of
the country for which our ordinary apple is not
hardy enough AS soon az we found that further
experiments by us were not necessary we de-
voted that space to some other fruit.
I'VE have also introduced varieties of pears
and peaches, which have taken firm hold
among our fruit-growers. Some. time since we
introduced Brazilian orange into California.
1t proved great success there, and not long ago
we received a letter from a man saying that the
people of California than the Department had cost
the Government since it had been started. We
latter grows ss far north as North Carolina, and
the product OF the plant is quite good, but the
Country. owing to the % new process s. of riEe gun
powder manufacture just now obtaining in Ger
man many great eat demand da for camphor has has arisen.
from fifteen to seventy-fve cents per pound.
The Department is now making strenuous eff
forts to introduce the cultivation of camphor in
our Southern States along the Gulf Coast and
Atlantic Seaboard, which localities are suited to
its growth Through our efforts the pineapple
has been introduced largely in Florida and
Southern California.
"Most of these experiments of necessity take
place under glass, and we have to be very careful
in the matter of temperature and general humid
ity of the atmosphere. After numerous expert
ments as to the best mode of heating lighthouses
we have adopted that of heating by hot water.
There are five boilers situated in the buildings
here connected with the glass houses A pipe
from the top of the boiler through the build
ings, with various twistngs and turnings, and re-
turns to the lower part of the boiler. BY this
method the hot water goes out from the top of
the boiler, gives out its heat through the pipes,
and GNU n in thrrI INDhf
same process The pipes by this means are never
heated to a temperature of over 20Oo, and the air
is not therefore, relieved of its moisture so rap
idly as in the steam hot-air methods. The
temperature is then easily regulated by means of
the fire. and any desired degree of heat can easily
be reached.
Formerly we had system of exchanging
plants of our respective countries with the bo-
tanical institutions of others. and in that way
got hold of many peculiar varieties Not very
only experimental with those having a CONNER
cial value. The most of our seeds and plants we
get directly from dealers in those countries.
Seeds are very difficult to transport from one
country TO another. There are some starchy va
rleties, such as wheat and corn, which will keep
from now as they would to-day. Many other seeds
are oily and dry up, losing the essential qualities
OF their reproduction by the change. Coffee is
very dlincult to cause TO grow after having been
Kept Tor some time. We got some from Siberia
Tor some years, and no matter how it was packed
we found II impossible to make it grow. At last
suggested that IT be packed in q tin box full of
damp moss, and in that condition it arrived and
bore very satisfactorily. Great care has to be
taken in planting all these imported seeds and
all. At other tunes they up, but do not
bear"