Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1895-08-29
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rtne uepai c.liSSt OF agriculture is very
funny kind of n garden, which has just
begun to sprout, 1t covers about half
an acre, which is divided up into ever
80 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 OBJ
tanned from foreign countries, through
United States consuls, who have re-
sponded to circular sent out by the
department of state requesting them
to forward samples. In fact. they
come from all over the world, and the
purpose of the garden described is to
make a 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 for this novel
exhibit is original with Prof. Schrib-
ner, the agrostologistre recently engaged
by the department of agriculture.
When all of the plants are fully devel-
oped, along toward autumn, the gar
den will be very pretty to look upon.
There will even be bamboos which be-
long to the family of grasses. Adjoin-
Ing the garden is Mr. L. o. Towards
insect-rearing establishment, in which
bugs Of multitudinous varieties are
bred under glass. The latter gentle.
man jocularly threatened to let out his
bugs to browse upon Prof. Schribner'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 very
peculiar sort. 1t consists of shed
with a glass roof, out from under
which run series of parallel railway
tracks for a distance of abou
sixty or seventy feet. On the rail-
are miniature fiat cars, which carry
huge earthen pots and wooden tubs
In'each tub is growing plant. Their,
are number of specimens of eacl
kind of plant-potato, pea or wha
not-each growing in different kim
of SOIL The purpose in view is to fin,
out Just how much available food /
contained in various Soils e 4,
The soils employed have previousl.
been analysed. The quantity of plan
food in a soil may not determine it
usefulness for producing crops, mas
much as it may not be in such shap
as to be easily absorbed thi
Feeding plants is like feeding babies
the diet has got to be not merel.
nutritious, but easily digestible. Hay
ing ascertained by analysis just hoy
much plant food is. contained in eac
kind of soil. Prof Wiley wants t
know how much of it is assimilated i
the process of vegetable growth
The soils experimental with are froi
: all parts of the United States, and til
information obtained is expected to b
of much use to farmers. The days {
farming by guessworS have nearl
passed by, and now agriculture is
scientific pursuit. The rails and cal
enable Prof. Wiley to run his plant
under shelter when it rains Raj
water contains nitrogen, which, bein
added in undetermined quantitic
would interfere with the accuracy
his experiments @ HA
The department of agriculture raist
every year on it's farm many Thousand
of plants for distribution throug
members of congress and to applican
generally. This season 1t will tai
eighty-fve thousand cutting of graz
vines comprising twenty-five varietie
Of course, the grape vines are grow
out of doors. Twenty-Five varieties
olives will be grown under glass fl
the same purpose, to be distributed
the south. OF these, ten thousar
will be produced, some varieties beir
best for oil and others most suitab
{ for pickles. Out of doors will be grow
thirty nine varieties of figs, fro
which perhaps one thousand and fl
hundred cuttings will be taken. ]
the list will be added one hundr'
; thousand strawberry plants of for
varieties; also five thousand camph
plants, missed from seed, and pinea
pies, guavas, oranges and lemon
Olives and figs are distributed on
south of North Carolina, camph
plants south of Savannah and pinea
apples in southeastern Florida, due l
gard being had for the climatic COM
tions suitable for the raising of the
,.oJ,,ot. NNo chsnntpf Sfnr