Evening star., 1898-12-01
DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS
Reports of Agricultural Department Chiefs
to Secretary Wilson.
Prot Hansen's Explorations in Rus
sia-imp"rtation and Experiments
The Cost of the Year. supply.

osi sitcNI'uIe upon the purchase and distrfbu-
tion OF seeds has been submitted TO Secre-
'ary wilson. Ii includes also the reports
OF r. j. Whittleton. acting chief of The
seed division: ID. g. Fairchild. special agent
IN charge of seed and plant introduction.
and f. Z. Ewell. acting chief Of the di,-i
sion OF chemistry Assistant Secretary
Bingham states that Congress appropriated
Tor the purchase, propagation and distri-
| button of valuable seeds. bulbs" etc si3n-
wv of this amount there was expended
FOR general distribution ss6 loGG5: for for
elsn seed purchased by Prof. Hansen aud
distributed by Prof. Fairchnd. speciai
agent in charge Of seed and plant intro
ouctlon, Sl4S20; for beet seed purchased
and distributed by Dr. Ewen 81 s4G "a. Cor
other expenses connected with the distri-
oution; S2o. l2o.a5: total. sI23 59436
IN the distribution of the seeds every ef
tort mas been made to place them where the
best results might be expected We have
| nlled every request received that n upas
possible TO MI, making. in a number Of
| cases, special purchases to meet reouasts
Tor seed not included in our general CON
| tract.
Reports from persons who have received
| and planted the seeds are. with scarcely
| an exception. very favorable II Is too
early as yet to determine whether the seed
| introduced from foreign countries will
prove valuable In this country or not but
we nave every reason to believe that some
| varieties VIII prove TO be very desirable
owing to the fact that the seed was
distributed by our contractors al Toledo
onio IL was found necessary to send spe-
clal agent, with clerical help to that city.
whose duty It was to oversee and super
| wise the general distribution
The Distribution.
| Acting Chief Whittletons report treats
| only of seeds distributed through congress-
! men Thy their aliotments) and such Others
OF miscellaneous character as may have
been directed by the Secretary and not OF the
| seeds imported by the department and dis
trlbuted under the supervision OF other di-
vision chiefs
| The records of this division under this
| mead show that the aggregate number 81
| papers and bags (cloth) of seeds DISTRIBUTE
| ed during the fiscal year ending Iuna 10
! 1888 was as follows:
"Fegetable (papers). IA 242. .527 flower pa
persG L274'nSI; field tpapers ana bags).
| 2o5,3IO; total. II, 1O2 gl4
! This total of 15.T92 .9I4 papers and cloth
bags of all seeds was divided in their
| distribution follows
! To senators, representatives and 8els-
gates IN Congress, 1888, ,.IS6 papers and
cloth sacks of vegetable. flower and field.
| 10 correspondents of the division OF
flower.
ITO weather bureau observers, I5.G:5 pa
pers of vegetable.
| To experiment stations 400 papers ,f
vegetable and flower.
| To the office OF pure seed investigation.
| 162S papers and cloth bags of vegetable,
Hover and field.
| To state oranges $3.50 4c0 Dapars and
| cloth bags Of vegetable. flower and field
| To postmasters. Isl. .S47 papers and cloth
| bags OF vegetable, flower and field.
| To clerk of House of Rapreseptstfvas
| $3.50 papers of vegetable
| To sergeant-at-arms. House Of Repre-
| flower.
| Miscellaneous distribution by the de-
| partment, 219.472 papers and cloth sacks
| or vegetable flower and field seeds
| ,aod ne distribution began on January 1U,
lsSS and was completed on May IL. Iss,s
| = ne aggregate cost of all seeds furnished
| Tor distribution amounted to $S,j los 20
Seed and Plant introduction
The report OF the special agent in charge
OF seed and plant Introduction states that
| Prof. n. E. Hansen, appointed May 25 as
| a special agent Of the department visited
| during the past year portions of Russia
| and Siberia with a view to securing seeds
and plants valuable for introduction into
| this country. Prof Hansen, in the course
OF his exploring trip. visited the principal
nursery growing regions of northern and
central Russia, and pushed eastward to-
ward the southeastern portion of Russia,
visiting the cereal-growing regions OF east
| ern Russia and western Siberia (Amu Derfa
| Bokhara, Samarcand, Tashkent, Omsk) and
returning by way of the Siberian railroad.
| This entatled a trip of some 1000 miles
overland by tarantass tthe native cart).
In the course of these explorations in
Russia and east of the Caspian sea, Prof.
Hansen succeeded in making collection Of
| 1,124 numbers, including no less than ~
varieties of vegetable seed. 2S9 of melon a.
fruit and berry plants. t5O ornamental
| plants, 40 wheats, II barleys. 20 oats,
| ryes, 20 forage plants oil-producing
plants, a large number of miscellaneous
| seeds OF desert plants, etc. These seeds and
plants upon arrival were put up into about
| 5000 packages, which were sent out largely
| IL the state agricultural experiment sta
| tions and such reliable cultivators as had
shown a willingness to cooperate with the
department in making reports as TO the
success of these imported plants. Careful
record has been kept of every package sent
out receipt cards being signed by the par
ties receiving the packages. Report Youch-
ers have been sent to each Of these parties,
and the reports when returned will be
placed on file in this office for public refer
ence. As the season is not yet over, re-
ports on the imported seeds and plants nave
not been received. Furthermore. owing TO
the necessary work of disinfection and care
full cleaning, all Of the impOrtations have
not been distributed
while 1t is too early TO predict the fate
of most of the introductions, ana II Is
true as in all cases of plant INTRODUCTION,
that only small percentage is expected TO
prove better adapted to our soil ana cl-
matte conditions than the varieties already
grown, the following may be mentioned as
promising:
Dakota Experiments.
"a variety OF alfalfa, differing slightly
from the kind grown in this country, ana
which is claimed to be more drought re-
sistant was imported in considerable guam
titles and very largely distributed through
the arid regions Of this country.
Seedlings of the Siberian apple Nyrus
baccata) were imported in quantities for
experimenting in the Dakotas, particularly
with a view to the discovery OF stock
which would not be killed by the severe
frcsts of that region. Prof. Hansen is car
ryiug on experiments personally with these
stocks and il is hoped by their means 10
make apple growing possibility Tor TINS
northern region. Bromus inermis, a forage
crop already tested in California and prov
ed to be a great success, was Imported IN
large quantities and distributed thoroughly
through those regions in which Ii will prob
ably prove successful.
"A new orange-fruited raspberry (Rubus
xanthocarpus) was discovered in northern
China by Russian explorers. Prof. Hansen
claims TO have secured the whole stock OF
this raspberry, which, according 10 the re-
ports received. will grow wonderfully wen
in this climate. Should il not prove of dl-
rect value ii will undoubtedly be of great
1f,rr frfsssr