The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-02-05
A VALUABLE
COLLECTION
Rare Economic Plants
and Seeds.
or VALUE TO FARMERS
Barbour l''hrop Who Gave ColIec-
ton to 0eparm Mt Of Agri-
culture Here.

Hawaii is particularly Interested at
the present time i'm diversified agricul-
ture and the following article will prove
of more than usual interest. For the
past three weeks this city has sheltered
a man whose name is well known to
the farmers throughout the United
states as one who has done much to
promote the agricultural interests Of
the country. and that, too without any
remuneration for his arduous labors.
For the past two years Mr.. Barbour
Lathrop of Chicago has devoted his
time and his money TO obtaining a col
lection of rare economic plants and
seeds, and to accomplish that end has
made a complete tour of the world Wis
iting many unfrequented countries and
venturing in search of information
where explorers have not even set foot.
Mr.. Lathrop is an old time newspaper
man. having served his apprenticeship
on the local staff of the San Francisco
Call many years ago, and since that
time has been connected with the most
prominent journals in the world. Ar
irving here on the Alameda, Mr.. Lath-
rop has been busy following up his
chosen work. but has managed to find
this city. member OF many of the
principal clubs in the States and a
thorough Bohemian, he has a fund of
rare stories of his travels at his COM
mand that are of more than usual in
terest.
The following extract is taken from
the Chicago Times-Herald of Janu-
airy Z:
One of the most remarkable collec-
tons of rare economic plants and seeds
is now being worked up by the Depart
ment of Agriculture. Barbour Lathrop
of Chicago, with David G. Fairchild as
assistant recently completed a tour of
the world covering a period of two
years and embracing travels which
amounted to explorations. Mr.. Lathrop
has given the results of the expedition,
undertaken at his own expense, to the
farmers of the United States through
the medium OF the section of seed and
plant Introduction of the Department of
Agriculture.
The expedition left New York Deem
Der 81, 1898, and returned last fall, hav-
ing visited in order the following coun-
tries and sent in from each living eco
nomic plants and seeds for cultivation
by America farmers and horticulturists:
Jamaica. Grenada. Barbados, Trinidad,
in the West Indies; Venezuela, Colon
bia, Ecuador Peru, Chill, Argentine,
Brazil. in South America; Portugal, Ty-
rof and Bohemia, in Austria Hungary;
Italy, Egypt, Ceylon and Straits Settle
ment in farther India; Java Celebes,
Amboina, Banda. Lombok, Bali, Moluc-
cas-, Aru and Kei Islands, Tenimber
Archipelago and New Guinea in the
Dutch East Indies; Hongkong, Canton,
in south China; the Philippine Islands,
Bankok, SIAM Sweden and Finland in
northern Europe.
EXPEDITION WAS COSTLY.
Many thousands of dollars have been
spent by Mr.. Lathrop upon this eXpedi-
ton, and he put into it some of the best
thoughts of a practical man who is alive
to the general wants of his countrymen
He is not an agriculturist, and intrusted
the technical part of the work to his as
sistant, Mr.. Fairchild, who was detail
ed by Secretary Wilson from his posi-
ton III charge of the section of seed and I
plant introduction.
The trip was primarily planned by
Mr.. Lathrop to be one of reconnaissance.
The object in the first place was to find /
out what each country offered in in |
duceH.Cnts for exploration work, how 1T /
Should he entered and studied, whom OF !
it's inhabitants could be relied upon as
correspondents, and what would be the
probable expense of an exhaustive study !
from the standpoint of plant introduce
ton. This object has been attained and .
is embedded in mass of notes and |
piles of publications and notebooks etc.
The secondary aim of the expedition
was to purchase and import for trial
such promising seeds and plants as
were suited for culture in various parts
of the United States. The material thus
purchased has not all come in yet, but
the main part has been distributed or
Will shortly be sent out by the depart
ment to the various experiment sta
tons and private eXperimenters for trial
and report.
LIST OF SEEDS AND PLANTS.
over 400 different purchases were sent
in from the various countries, each pur-
chase accompanied by careful notes on
its culture and the climatic soil condi-
tons to which the plant or seed was
best adapted. The annoted list has been
in part published or is in process of pub 4,
LEGATION by the section of seed ana
plant introduction. and covers a wide
range of horticultural and agricultural
plants suited to variety of conditions
from the tropical surroundings of Porto !
Rico and Hawaii to the arctic climate of
Alaska.
It will be of interest to point out some
OF the prospects of these introduced
plants and the reasons for their trial: D.,
splnelss succulent cactus of the Ar
gentine suitable for fodder purposes in
the desert regions of Arizona,
A series OF West Indian yams. one OF
which at least Is superior in flavor TO
the Irish potato, Suitable for culture
In Florida and Louisiana, but demand
ing special care and a special market
The Alexandrian clover from Egypt,
late fodder crop for irrigated lands IN
Southern California and Arizona.
Some OF the finest varieties or Bohe-
milan hops to replace the culture OF In
ferior sorts now almost exclusively
grown In America
Varieties OF "pedigreed" barleys, orgi-
mated In Sweden ana OF superior value
for brewing purposes.
Fine West Indian mangoes and supe-
rlor sorts OF East Indian bananas for
culture In Porto Rico
Az evergreen poplar FROM Chile for