Evening star., 1895-06-08
UNCLE SAM's OWN FARM.
One Patch of fI3 Grusscs-New Idens
in Growing Plants.

Back of the pig brick seed barn of the
Department of Agriculture is a very funny
kind of garden, which has just begun to
sprout. 1t covers about h3lf an acre, W hich
is divided up into ever Sc many little rec
tangular patches. OF the latter there are
45O in all. which sown with as many
different kinds CT grasses. The seeds for
most of these fave been obtained from
foreign countries, through United States
consuls, who have responded to a circular
sent out by the Department of State re-
queSting tfem to forward samples. In
fact, they come from all over the world,
ard the purpose of the garden described is
TO make fairly comprehensive exhibit of
the grasses of all lands.
Included among the 450 species are vari-
Gus kinds of forage plants. The iuea for
this novel exhibit is original with Prof.
Scribncr, the agroStoloSIst recently en-
gagged by the Department of Agriculture.
When all of the plants are fully deVel-
oped, along toward autumn, the garden
Will be very pretty to look upon. There
will even be bambC os. which belong to the
family of grasses. Adjoining the garden
is Mr.. L. O. Howard's insect rearing es-
tablishment, in which bugs of mlltitudin-
Gus varieties are bred under glass. The
latter gentleman joCularly threatened TO
let out his bugs to browse upon Prof. Scrb-
nerS grasses. not to mention the plants of
| different kinds which Prof. Wiley is culti-
vating in the immediate vicinity.
Prof. Wiley has outfit of a very pc
cuar sort. 1t consists of shed with a
glass roof, out from under which run a
series OF parallel railway tracks Tor a dis
tance of about sixty or seventy feet. On
the rails are miniature fiat cars, which
| carry huge earthen pots and wooden tubs.
In each tub is a growing plant. There are
a number of specimens of each kind of
plant-potato, pea or what Lot-each grow
ing in a different kind of soil The purpose
in view is to find out just how much avail
able food is contained in various soils. The
soils employed have previously been ana
lyZed. The quantity of plant food in a
soil may not determine its usefulness for
producing crops, inaSmuch as 1t 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 nutritious but
| easily disestible. Having ascertained 10y
| analysis just how much plant food is con-
tained in each kind of soil, Prof Wiley
| wants to know how much of it is assimi-
| lated il the process of vegetable growth
| The soils experimental with are from all
parts of the United States, and the lnfor-
| nation obtained is expected to be of much
| use to farmers. The days Of farming by
| guesswork have nearly passed by, and now
! agriculture is scientific pursuit. The
| rails and cars enable Prof. Wiley to run
his plants under shelter when 1t rains
| Rain water contains nitrogen, which being
| added in undetermined quantities, woulc
| interfere with the accuracy of his expert
| mentS only distilled water Is IurniSEeC
| to the plants
The Departm of Agriculture raises
| every year on its farm many thousands OF
| plants for distribution through members
| of Congress and to applicants generally
| This season it will take 5000 cuttings Of
| grape vines, comprising twenty-five varie
| ties. OF course, the grape vines are grown
out of doors. Twenty-Five varieties o1
olives will be grown under glass for the
same purpose, to be distributed in the
south. OF these, 10000 will be produced
some varieties being best for oil and other:
most suitable for pickles. Out of door:
| will be grown thirty varieties or fgs, iron
which, perhaps, 800 cuttings will be taken
To the list will be added 100000 youns
strawberry plants of forty varieties; alst
5000 camphor plants, raised from seed, ane
| pineapples guavas, oranges and lemons
! Olives and figs s re distributed only soutf
| Of North Carolina, camphor plants soutf
| of Savannah and pineapples In southeast
| ern Florida, due regard being had for tht
| climatic conditions suitable for the raising
| of these products