The St. Johns herald., 1895-09-05
UNCLESAM'SGRASSFARM.
Where Specimens fir m All Lands
 Are Experimented With.
.Thcusands of Plants Raised Every Year for Distribution Throughout the States - Scientific Research
 in Agriculture.

tue department of agriculture is a very funny kind of garden, which has just begun to sprout. It covers about half an acre. which is divided up into ever so many little rectangular patches. Of the latter there are four hundred and fifty in all, which are sown with as many different kinds of grasses. The seeds for most of these have been ob- tained from foreign countries, through United States consuls, who have re- sponded to circular sent out by the de- pertinent of state requesting them to send samples. In fact, says the Wash ington Star, they come from all over the world, and the purpose of the garden described is to make fairly comprehensive exhibit of the grasses of all lands.
 Included among the four hundred and fifty species are various kinds of forage plants. The idea of this novel exhibit is original with Prof. Scribner, the agrostologist recently engaged by the department of agriculture. When all of the plants are fully developed, along to ards the autumn, the garden will be very pretty to look upon: There will even be bamboos, which belong to the family of grasses. Adjoining the garden is l.. O. Towards insect-rear- ing establishment, in which bugs of multitudinous varieties are bred render glass. The latter gentleman jocularly threatened to let out his bugs to browse upon Prof. Scribner's grasses, not to mention the plants of different kinds which Prof. Wiley is cultivating in the immediate vicinity.
 Prof. Wiley has an outfit of a very peculiar sort. It consists of a shed with glass roof out from under which run a series of parallel railway tracks for distance of about sixty or seventy feet. On the rails are miniature flat cars, which carry huge earthen pots and wooden tubs. In each tub is growing plant. There are number of specimens of each kind of plant-po- tato, pea or what not-each growing in different kind of soil. The purposein view is to find out just how much avail able food is contained in various soils. The soils employed have previously been analysed. The quantity of plant food in a soil may not determine its usefulness for producing crops, in- asmuch as it may not be in such shape as to be easily absorbed.
 Feeding plants is like feeding babies; the diet has got to be not merely nu- tritious, but easily digestible. Having ascertained by analysis just how much plant food is contained in each kind of soil, Prof. Wiley wants to know how much of it is assimilated in the process of vegetable growth. The soils expert mented with are from all parts of the United States, and the information ob- tained is expected to be of much use to farmers. The days of farming by guessworl have nearly passed by, and agriculture is scientific pursuit. The rails and cars enable Prof. Wiley to run his plants under shelter when it rains. Rain water contains nitrogen, which, being added in undetermined quantities, would interfere with the accuracy of his experiments. Only distilled water is furnished to the plants.
 The department of agriculture raises CNClJ .JCo1 OA1 ALS 4oA LII lh1Ay tAOuOdAAS of plants for distribution through mem bers of congress and to applicants gen. orally. This season it will take eighty. five thousand cuttings of grape vines, comprising twenty-five varieties, Of course, the grape vines were grown out of doors. Twenty-two varieties of olives will be grown under glass for the same purpose, to be distributed in the south. Of these ten thousand will be produced, some varieties being best for oil and others most suitable for pickles. Out of doors will be grown thirty va rieties of figs, from which, perhaps, fifteen hundred cuttings will be taken. To the list will be added one hundred thousand strawberry plants of forty varieties; also five thousand camphor plants raised from seed, and pineapples, guavas, oranges and lemons. Olives and figs are distributed only south of North Carolina, camphor plants south of Savannah, and pineapples in south eastern Florida, due regard being had for the climatic conditions suitable for the raising of these products.