The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-19
Pacific Northwest GiVeu q han to
Look After Them.
ALL TO HELP THE FARMERS.
Prof. 4. n. Leek~nby Is Appointed
Cher Of this Region To Look tn
the Introduction of Grasses and
Foreign PIants-Enort TO BE Made
IN hind the sands of Eastern
Part of the State and oregon.

ore o. me most beneficial steps taken by
the department Of agriculture Cor the farm
ers and ranchers Of the Northwest has just
been announced in the appointment q Prof.
A b. Leekerby 70 the post Of chief Of The
Pacific coast division Of the department 81
grasses and forage plants He will o under
Prof Lamson- ScrIbner, and VIII make mis-
headquarters in Portland.
TITS is.she lasess movement Of the govern
rnent in recognizing the agricultural import
ance Of this part CO the county. and shows
he iiberaiity with which Secretary Wilson.
Of the department Of agriculture, * looking
upon the growing needs of this locality
Pro-. Leckenby : regarded as 0ne o. the
foremost authorizes in his line IL the coun
try He is a naturalist ana specialist in
ehe study of grasses and ferns, and by rea-
son OF the profound researches he has made
in the Northwest Is peculiarly well fitted
for the task he has before him He has
heretofore been connected with Northern
Pacific experimental work, and vas also
with the Kern County Land Company in
Southern California and the Southern Pa
cific In that state. He brought out several
varieties os grasses year ago that already
promise 10 the successfully grown here.
Leckenby il 10 teEt and classify all kinds
u grasses according 10 the requirements OF
this climate and soil, and after thorough ex-
periments necessary 10 determine the hes.
varieties adapted 10 Northwest conditions,
10 see that they ara distributed and 10 all
ne can TO secure their use. One OF the
.nost important branches OF his inves'isa-
items viii be the selection Of some variety
tina, will grow in the sand dunes Of East
"A 1e4.n ~ E1s
are barren % all kinds OF vegetable life. and
where sand storms rage with SUCH fury -
10 cover railroad tracks and in some in
stances bury the telegraph poles.
The wors, region Of this character Is along
the line ,of the Washington & Columbia
River railroad in rmatilia county. Oregon.
and up into Washington above Pasco. This
desert i similar 10 that along the line Of
the Denver & Rio Grande in Southern Utah
and across Nevada on the Southern Pacific.
and unless 4 grass can be found that vii,
grow there and hold the sand IL viii be
useless forever. Prof Sp.llman. agricultur-
Isl Of the government experimental station
at Pullman has been devctine considerable
study 10 this matter. There seems but one
grass that viii thrive IN land OF that char
acter. and that is brannes. or Australian
bunch grass rrof. Spillman has been look
ing into that variety.
The duties OF Prof Leckenby will be 10
40 thoroughly into such matters. and reach
solutions that viii help the farmers. II :
expected that the good he will be able 70
accomplish viii be ines.imahle.
Pro. Scribnsr. Thomas Shaw and other
agricultural experts IL the East were out
here last spring. and made protracted
tour OF Oregon and Washington in company
with X. c. Judson, industrial agent Of the
o. Il. & N; Prof So llman. OF Pullman.
Miller Freeman. editor Of the Ranch and
Range, CT Seattle. and other authorities
The result has been the reporting 10 the
department Of agriculture OF the growing
importance Of the Pacific Northwest. the
need OF more attention from the govern
ment ard finally the appointment OF Prof.
Teeckenby 10 this post.