The Washington times., 1901-10-07
FOREIGN SEEDS FOR AMERICA.
Valuable Importntions Made By the
Agricultural Department

4
After year Of scientific exploration in
Europe and Africa David c. Fairchild. an
agricultural expert OF the Department
OF Agriculture, has just returned to this
city. His collection includes all sorts of
plants seeds. and cuttings likely u prove
of value to agriculture in some art of
the United States His Shipment from
abroad to The department during IL He past
year numbered about three hundreI
MFR. Fairchild's general knowledge Of
the soil and climatic conditions Of all
parts of this country, including the in
sular possessions. specially equips him for
The work of seeking desirable plants and
seeds for introduction into this country.
| He talks enthusiastically concerning the
| results Of his trip
| In Bavaria he obtained twelve hundred
| hop plants, including the five best varie-
| ties known. Saaz and Semsch being the
| principal ones The hops aow grown In
the United States are not the best by far
and there have always been imported i'm
mense quantities annually from that
country. Importations of hops are likely
to decrease when the producing capacity
Of this country is drawn upon, as 1fr.
fairchid believes that there are present
here all the conditions necessary to the
growing OF the best hops
He forwarded from Austria seed Of the
famous Hanna brewing barley of Nor
avia; also the Slavonian ounce. n new
variety which very likely Will prove of
commercial value here. In Istria, at Ro-
vigno. We're found the largest variety of
hazelnuts grown, and Dalmatia gave large
olives for picking. which are said to be
as long as an average-sized hens egg:
also giant English walnuts, the Marasca
cherry, from which comes the Maraschino
iiqueur. and a beautiful pyramidal cypress
from Ragusa- This cypress has no super
ior for park ornamentation.
In Greece, at Corfu, he found variegated
lemons and seedless Tor with few seeds
lemons. Zanta gave giant English wal
nuts and Pistach nuts. This Pistach nut
is finer in quality than the peanut. and is
roasted as are peanuts, in immense guam
titles and eaten by the Levantiues. 1t is
the same as the Pistach nut used for flaw
oring. ard is destined TO become a great
favorite with confectioners in this coun-
try. 1t can be grown where orange cul-
ture hOurishes. and the Department of
Agriculture is gradually accommodating a
stock for distribution. At Crete al Sc
cured the Cretan st. Johns bread, which
furnishes fodder very highly esteemed
Sulla is the name of another forage
plant coming from the island of Malta,
so intimately associated in the minds o.
Christians with the travels of st. Paul
This plant is specially adapted to cal
careous soils, and from this fact MIR. Fair
child believes that Il is suitable for the
island of Guam. He also forwarded from
Malta a seedleSs liI.Ie probably adapted
to Florida: also fine varieties of Japan
mediar for the South. and the ''Lumina-
reng. sweet orange. which is never
sour even when but half ripe.
A collection of hard wheats and native
fodder plants were secured in Tunis. and
arrangements were perfected for obtain
ing a collection of fine Tunis table and
oil-producing olives. said to be superior
in quality to the finest French and Span
ish sorts.
Mr.. Fairchild is specially enthusiastic
over a shipment of Berseem, or Alexan-
dria clover, from Egypt This is eminent
ly suited for the arid regions of the South
west as winter annual forage crop of
first Importance. Without Berseem Egypt
would be worse off than the United States
would be without clover and alfalfa
This fodder plant forms the basis OF
Egyptian agriculture. From this same
the horse bean of Egypt and the Soudan:
also new supply of very fine cotton from
Lower Egypt and the Soudan; from the
after section fine shade tree (Dalbergia
sissO); the best Egyptian date palms, and
a most excellent date from one of the
lases Of Upper Egypt; a collection of the
resistant powers. Trials there of Ameri-
,an wheats proved them to rust badly
fnder conditions in which the native sorts
we're free from rust.
About 81 500 worth of hard macaroni
gheats were shipped from Algiers. and
arrangements We're made for a number
If new fodder plants, which. together
With the wheats, were intro fuced in CO.
,perati0n with Messrs. SwiEgle, Carleton,
md SchOfield. other agricultural explOr-
RS of the department
Mr.. Fairchild is very much pleased with
lis success in Spain in obtaining the finest
llmond in the world. sort which Cali
ornians have Eeen anxious to secure for
many years. We import many thousands
If dollars worth every year II is the
eadiug sort for confectioners' use in
oatins with sugar and for use as burnt
lmendS. They are long and slim. with
thin inner shell, and highly favored
n Suain were secured seedless poHe-
.ranates for culture in Arizona. and the
lest Spanish St Johns bread.s a tree
dapted admirably for railways 10 plant
bout their stations in the arid South
vest. at the same time it will furnish
ood for the poor and fodder for horses.
The photographs which Mr.. Fairchild
objected on the Journey are interesting
nd valuable and serve to Illustrate his
eports to the department. He is already
Re pairing to depart upon another journey.
his time probably through China and
ibet.