The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-10

Department Of Agriculture S'that we
are diverting part Of the money for
The distribution Of seeds. Of the ap-
propriation Of $3.50, 900 we are allow
/. ii ing $4,000 for the distribution OF
seeds through Congressman, and the
remainder we are expending in our
own way. All seeds are net tested
after distribution and the contractor
was u i. paid accordingly. Now seeds are
tested By our experts and s. per cent.
must germinate or the seeds are re-
sjected. This insures the recipients
good seeds. Not only must the seeds
Sgerminate but they are tested fo7 fer
tility also. The seeds we are sending
out through members Of Congress this
year are the best the department. has
ever handled. This distribution is
regarded by the members and the de-
spartment as a very excellent thing,
and We are constantly trying to I'M
prove the system.
Iss But we are doing much more than
simply distributing common seeds:
The great country lying in the tenn
al,ts ap,etratc g zone and stretching from ocean
.lla to }. ocean has within its confines almost
every condition Of climate and soil.
Is possible. therefore, to grow to
highest perfection somewhere in the
United States almost everything in
the world. We are trying to ascertain
what particular parts Of the United
States will grow certain grains, fruits
and vegetables, and to what parts GER
tain grains, ETC., are particularly
adapted. We find for instance that
The finest muskmelons sold in the
eastern markets come from the dry
valleys Of Colorado. There is, how.
ever, in the valleys Of Afghanistan,
perhaps the original home Of the
melon, 3 muskmelon greatly superior
even en- sto Is those raised in the West. So
,so Afghanistan We sent our agent, who
ret;uarrned turn us quantity Of seeds Of the
famous muskmelon, which often. grows
;toI ia 81 weight Of 20 or 80 pounds, and
these seeds We are sending to the
West this year.
ICY 10y ears ago the Gala lily was very
rare and very expensive. Iss place in
The popular esteem was taken by the
beautiful Easter lily. Everyone at
iEastertime likes to see Easter lilies
about, but they are expensive The
bulbs come from Bermuda, where the
soil is veryrich. But the production
\ Of; y the. bulbs OF these lilies, which
grow SO rapidly, exhausts the soil,
and, as the soilin Bermuda is very
thin, they will scarcely be able to pro-.
.duce the. lilies much longer. They
must have three things rich soil,
heat and water. So we have imported
800 bulbs, which ne are distributing
across the Southern States. Arizona
and New Mexico got some for the irri-
gated portions: Texas received some.
because Of It's rich soil and abundant
rainfall. Mississippi and Louisiana
also got some. We hope by this
means to find some place where the
Easter lily can be brought to perfec-
ition and then the florists can do the
rest. The money now sent to Ber-
muda for bulbs will be retainedin this
country, and everyone will be able to
have Easter lilies.
The Cali ifornians complained that
their 6gtrees we're like those.in the
Bible.which bore-no figs. They had
.fne trees, fine flowers and very favor
able conditions. Everything was there
except. the figs. Our scientists exam
.ined the situation carefully and decid-
ed that the trouble was that the pollen
was not reaching the female flower.
This was demonstrated by means OF
artificial fertilization. The pollen was
blown into the flowers by a bloW-pipe,
and those flowers produced fruit. An
agent was sent to Smyrna to see how.
the Trees were fertilized and he found
"a peculiar bee which lived among the
fgtress and carried the pollen from
flower to flower by means Of its hairy
legs. The people Of Smyrna did not
want to let any Of these legs 60 out OF
the country, but our agent brought
some away or twigs. Unfortunately,
they were dead before they reached US
and some more will have to be obtain
ed.
ssOn the shores Of the Mediterran-
;ean, in Algiers, is a branch Of this
department. We find that the date
palm Aourishes in Arizona, so our
agent IN Algiers has had the date