Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-09-27
AGRICULTURAL CHINA.
ITS VARIETIES OF GRAIN AND FRUIT
WOULD BE VALUABLE HERE.
The Chinese Are Skilful Husbandmen
and the World Can Learn Important
Lessons of Them-Advance In Orange
Culture-Home of Winter Muskmelon.


"China can teach the world some
great lessons in agriculture" said Mr..
F. V. Coville, chief botanist of the de-
partment Of agriculture, to New York
Post correspondent. For example, we
know that there are certain cereals
cultivated on the headwaters of the
Yangtse river, at an elevation Of 49,
900 feet above the level of the sea they
grow wheat there in some places at an
altitude of 1900 feet whereas in this
country very little can be raised at an
elevation of 5000 feet, and that is in
Arizona, where 1t is very warm. But
the real test of the ability of the Chi
nese Is this direction Is afforded by
comparison Of cereal elevations with
the timber line. They raise wheat
within 1900 feet of the timber line on
the plateau of Turkestan, while in Ar
izona our timber line is 1900 feet above
the wheat belt.
"a timber line furnishes very def
mite basis of climatic measurement the
world over just as the sea does for
the measurement of altitude. One
thousand feet below the timber line Is
Arizona would mean substantially the
same climatic conditions as 1000 feet
below the timber line in New Eng
land and SO when we say that the Chi
nese raise wheat within 1900 feet OF
that line, we mean that they have de-
veloped strain which is far more re-
sisting Of cold and drought than any
thing we have in Europe or North
America. Their civilization is so much
older than ours that the gradual de-
velopment of these strains has been
brought about, and we could to advan-
tage bring some of them into use here.
We have now representative of the
department in the upper Yangtse,
where he went for the purpose of gath
ering specimens for introduction here.
Nothing has been heard Of him for
some time, and not little anexiety Is
felt in his behalf.
Besides the wheat and other cereals,
China is said to have considerable ad-
vantage over us in orange culture. The
Yangtse valley produces a delicious
orange, according to reports we have
received, in districts where the trees
are subjected to a temperature 20 de-
grees below the freezing point. That
part of China on the borderland of the
great Turkestan plateau is also the
home of the peach. and it was from
southwestern Asia that the modern
world secured this valuable fruit. They
have varieties there now quite different
from any that grow in this country
not necessarily better, for the develop
ment has been along different lines in
the two hemispheres. Only little
while ago peach was introduced from
China into Florida, known as the
Peento, which is shaped like tomato
very short from stem to pit. 1t has
a short, stout stone, and it's flavor Is
delicious. 1t does not seem to be
good shipping peach, and for that rea-
son seldom gets to the northern market.
Neither is it especially adapted for
canning, where the chief requirement
is a certain firmness. The sugar used
in canning takes the place of many
natural defects in flavor and sweetness
which the fruit may have. So the can
ming factories do not need a peach of
the type of the Peento. and thus far
it's use has been confined to the local
markets. There are other varieties
from China. however, which may oe
better adapted to the commercial
needs of this country, and upon that
subject our agent in the Yangtse was
probably working when the recent DIS
turbances broke out.
'It was from this plateau of Asia,
extending through Turkestan, by
which China is bounded on the west.
that we obtained the Turkestan al
falfa, one of the best of our forage
plants. We found it growing there in
condition of great dryness and great
cold, and when the plant was sub
iected to the same conditions in our
far western states 1t proved most ac-
ceptable. Its introduction has meant
an enormous extent northward ana
upward among the mountain slopes of
the alfalfa culture. and alfalfa is the
great forage crop Of the west.
From this region, too, has come
the winter muskmelon, which is now
growing successfully in the west, ana
only awaits for its general introduc-
ton in the east some improvement in
the method of shipping. This We have
decided to leave to the ingenuity of
the west. This melon grows as large
as Il watermelon, is edible In the
months of December, January, ana
February, and is as sweet and deli
cate in flavor as any muskmelon that
can be bought in the Washington
markets today. ! gave one last win
ter to member of Congress who was
getting up dinner for some OF his
associates. and, as he afterwards
told me, it produced sensation. lie
declared that If those melons aould
be brought into the New York market
in good condition in midwinter people
would pay any price for them. lust