The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-25

of public money and an interference with
the legitimate business Of private citl-
ZenS, with no compromising benefits. 1t
is the object of the department TO in
troduce new crops or new varieties OF the
ordinary crops that will give more sat
isfactory results.
Take an example: 1t was not many
years ago that all OF the rice grown in
the United States was OF the fionduran
variety. This was found to be unprotita-
BILE, and the rice industry lansuished per-
ceptibly. The Department of Agrcul-
ture took the matter up, and introduced
the Japan or Krusru rice, which has ere
ated such 4 revolution IN rice growing
as to eliminate all other varieties. 1t is
claimed that at least 900 have been
invested in rice fields in Texas and l1oI-
isiana since the introduction of the jap
anese grain. 1t Yields . per cent. more
to the acre, and mills at least . per
cent. more unbrollen rice than did the
Honduran variety, and has, therefore, in
creased the rice production per acre over
50 per cent. Ths department has long
since given up the rice business to the
legitimate business enterprises, for it is
q. principle governing the introduction of
u new plant that as soon as Il variety IS
found desirable and is recognized by the
seedmen the department withdraws from
the field and leaves to private enterprise
The department is now experimenting
with Egyptian cotton. The Egyptian cot
ton is irrigated and the object is to dis
cover whether by the same means the
plant may not be made to thrive on the
arid lands of Arizona, New Mexico and
Texas beyond the San Antonio River. An
effort is also making to naturaliZe the
date palm in thise same regions, where
it is believed that the conditions of eli
mate and of soil Will insure success. The
introduction of this tree may prove to
be of as great benefit to the inhabitants
of the New World as it has been in the
Old World Another very interesting eX-
pertinent is thus described:
Growing just a short distance from the
Agricultural Building in Washington is
thick horny hedge of orange trees. CT
triS trifoliata they are called. The fruit
is inedblc, being small and bitter. but
the orange is hardy, growing to maturj-
ty as far north as Philadelphia. The
great frost of 1898 in Florida which de-
stroyed SO many orange groves, suggest
cd to Secretary Wilson the great adj
vantages which would follow the discov-
cry of a harder variety of this fruit than
is now grown in this country. It was
decided, 10 produce a hybrid orange
crossing the Florida plant with a tri-
foliata, in the eIdeavor to get a sweet
orange which should be likewise hardy
ting 5000 of these hybrid plants 1t is
too soon yet TO say what the result will
be with the fruit. / is not believed. how
ever, that a sweet orange will result
though there is still some hope of that
1t is thought, however. that by again
crossing this hybrid with the sweet or
ange in time Il marketable fruit may be
produced from tree which will grow
mach farther north than the one now
known 10 the orange groves of the coun-
try.
In the meantime, however. tGis hybrid
orange is new ant remarkably val
liable hedge plant with an evergreen
foliage and long tlorns. making it an
impenetrable, thicket This in itself. in
the opinion of Secretary Wilson, is a
sufficiently valuable discovery to justi-
fy the work already done, but the ex-
pertinent will be pushed to a conclusion
in the endeavor to secure a hardy, sweet
orange As the secretary says, .One OF
the nlarEels of the new century NAV be
an orange tree bearing marketable fruit
which will thrive in the temperate zone
Many other instances might be given.
but enough has been said to show the
value of the Agricultural Department and
to prove that it is worth to the people
of the United States many times the cost
of its maintenance