The morning times., 1895-08-04
Valuable Species Being Imported
for Use and Ornament.
MAMMOTH CORN 1 OF PERU
1t Has Grains Four Times as Large
the Native Variety-Attem
to Cultivate the FIowerlng Sugar
Cane and Mystic K"la Nut of
Africa.

The return of Professor Palmer of the
National Museum from his trip into q
hitherto undiscovered land in Mexico, has
brought to this country some rare kinds OF
plants that are of exceeding interest to
botanists. Palmer tells of some wonders
Of vegetation that grow in that country.
First among them is what has long been
mystery to all people and that is the
strange plant known as the jumping beam"
which possesses the peculiar property or
jumping about as If alive. Fol years no
one could discover the reason but Palmer
found it was due to a tiny insect which
makes the bean his home and thus causes
the unnatural agitation. One smart fellow
had made big pile of money by a monopoly
of this bean, but the professor has found
that his property is not confined to the
bean alone, but extends to several other
plants similarly infested
Queer species OF g0urds, which are used
by the natives foI every culinary purpose,
aIe also found there and many of the most
odd of the seeds have been brought back
by Palmer with view TO bringing about
their cultivation in the United States. III
we could begin to Iaise some OF these won
deIful plants, our limit OF edibles would
be greatly extended and many delicious
fruits, now unknown to us, would become
every day fare.
A valuable tree of whose wood the an
cient Romans used to ia shion their horse
yokes, is down in the Botanical Gardens,
and it is the Intention OF the superintendent
to aid in placing in the far West many
sprouts of this valuable tree. The one in
the gardens here is sprout of the one
W pT q 81 10 MIA n
the great French infidel, and so fond was
he said TO be of the tree, that any visitor
falling TO notice its beauty and make proper
comment, was ever afterwards counted
out OF the list of Voltaire's acquaintances
If the superintendent can secure proper
means he will do all in his power to get
a large number of trees planted III the West,
which will do much to improve the now
rainess regions.
GIANT CORN TO BE RAISED.
The Agricultural Department is making
every effort to improve our resources by
imporUations and plants OF other nations
which are likely to flourish in this country,
are being brought outhere eandexperimented
with in order to Sc 20 " ha grality they ar
adapted Secretary Aor.On is an aCtiV q
and intelligent man, and takes great in
teresJ in his work of improving our products
by foreign additions One of the latest
things to be obtained by this branch of
, the government arc seeds OF s.lecies of
giant corn which grows in Peru ard whose
grains are four times as large as those
of the corn to which we have been accus-
toned or course, If this new and Won
drous kind which produces huge ears,
is most prolific i'll bearing, can be raised
in the Middle states IL would revolutloniZe
| the agriculture Of those regions. AT pres
ent a gentleman is experimenting with the
grains.
In FloriGa an attempt is being made to
raise the kola nut which possesses prln-
ciple highly beneficial and exciting TO the
nerves. acting in way some what similar
to the effects Of coffee, though 1T is very
| valuable as d food when made into KIND
! OF paste. If this uur can p" grown on our
| Southern coast 1t Will briug one or AIrl-
! ca'speculia rproductst to our doors. -s-...-
Cocnanut trees -Ould b" raised in thiT
! country, and there are now on the coast OF
Florida several large groves uf that tree.
! If the Agricultural Department takes this
! pa aTticular nut in nand, it would place Its
| experiments down on the gulf Of Mexico,
! and there is little doubt but that cocoanuts
| of American growth could be obtained In
| a few years. Some trees which were
| supposed to have been brought from TINS
! country from some of the Central American
| NN-NN
in one place quite a large grove.
SUGAR-CANE SEED.
The Agricultural Department has also
been busy experimenting on the seeds oi
the sucar-cane. That plant is commonly
grown from sprouts which so along below
the surface. and for the cane to flower is
a very rare event. The department by q
patient trial has found that the seed sends
| ont an enormous root and that this same
! seed is very slow to germinate. The de
| partment will now try to see If the sugar
| cane can not he persuaded to produce blooms
| as a common occurrence, and IL 1t sue
ceeds. it will be of great benefit, as the
seeds can be used as food for cattle.
In Que of the far Western States the de
partment has established station where
experiments are being made with the
| bamboo which is q familiar thing to all
! readers of literature which deals with
| Africa or India, for in those countries it il
used to build houses, carry water through
its hollow pipes, and every style of fur
| niture and basket is fasmoned OF Its piiant
reeds This species of plant could be easily
raised in the warm climates along the
Southern banks of the Mississippi Rivel
and at an early day the department viii
probably make an experimental station il
that locality.
Under Morton the department has awak
ened to a new era of usefulness, and i
is getting out of the old rut in which
it long ran as a mere distributor of seed
year after year in a perfunctory wa.
and doing nothing Of new interest to tn
agricultural interests OF the country. /
stop has been put by the Secretary to tn
indtscriminate sending out of seed, an,
he was warranted in this action by tn
dishonesty of some members Of Congress
who sold their quota of seeds to stores
whose proprietors again sold them bac
at a profit to the department, A few
Congressman realized about SO or $1O'
by such a paltry trick
If Secretary Morton can succeed in i'm
proving our native vegetation by the intro
duction of valuable foreign plants and hel
the drought-stricken sections of the Wes
by the planting of trees, he VIII t.e tn
first of the heads of the department t
bring that branch of the government u
any uses of practical utility.
The Married Woman F1trt.