Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-06
RARE EXOTIC PLANTS
Department Of Agriculture Expert
ments With Seeds and Cuttings.
FODDER TREES OF IMMENSE YIELD
Perennial Cabbage Which Grows
to Height of Five Feet.
HOPS AND SMALL FRUITS

HOPS AND SMALL FRUITS
Seeds and cuttings of many strange eco
romic exotic plants have been received and
arc being received by the Department of
Agriculture from D. q. Fairchild, who, as
atm agent of the department, went
abroad IN October, 1900, to explore south
ern Europe and northern Africa for varie-
ties of fruits, vegetables. grains and grass
es, which are not but which may be, grown
in the United States. 1t is believed by
the Secretary of Agriculture and Mr.. B. I.
Galloway, director Of plant Industry, that
the exploration by Mr.. Tairchild will result
in the introduction IN lhis country of many
plants of rare value. AS a rule, only
few seeds or cuttings of each species have
been obtained, and these are Icing propa-
gated by the department in it's grounds
and green houses in this city In a few
instances foreign samples have been sent
to experiment stations Sr agricultural col
leges, where it Is thought the conditions
are particularly good.
was possible to obtain these they are not
available for general distribution, but If
found to be valuable will be propagated
and distributed through the cooperation OF
From the Island of LISA in the Adriatic,
Mr.. Fairchild has sent cuttings of st.
Johns bread. which is u leguminous tree,
suited for rather dry, calcareous soils In the
southern states, Porto Rico and Hawaii.
1t is a fodder tree, yielding immense guam
titles of pods, which are shipped and sold
for cattle feed, and which are also used
by brewers and diStilers. The tree COM
mences to bear when it is fifteen years old
and yields from 450 to $50 pounds of pod
per tree. On the Island Of LISA the bear
ing tree yields pods to the value OF from
So so to $3.50 per annum.
From Dalmatia has come perennial
cabbage, what forms the principal food OF
hundreds of families in palmata. 1t grows
to q height of five feet and bears tender
leaves throughout the winter. These are
picked singly or the whole head is cut and
the stems sprout again. 1t stands in the
fields for three or :orr years. 1t may
make good forage plant for the south, as
well as a desirable vegetable.
Many Varieties of Hops.
Mr.. Fairchild has sent over cuttings of
many varieties of hops, which are grown in
Europe, but are not grown in the United
States OF the Red Semsch hop 10000 cut
tings have been distributed through Wash
ington, Oregon, Michigan, WISCONSIN and
New York. This is consideringtits earliness
and productiveness probably the best Bo-
| hemian variety. 1t ripens. earlier than the
| Thousands of cuttings go from, Polepp, Bo-
| hemia every year to Saaz. and they have
been transplanted all over Europe. In
| quality it approaches very closely to the
! best Saaz. 1t ripens IN August and is very
uniform in the time of maturity, and has a
| very fine aroma. 1t yields two-thirds more
! than the Saaz.
Four hundred cuttings Of the Red Semsch
| hop We're obtained from the old garden
where these hops originated 30 that they
| are considered of the very .Yurest type
| This hop sold at from % to "a cents per
| pound in the Nuremberg markets during
| the past season. and Jna price paid to the
hop growers ranged as high as 30 cents pei
| pound. a-!r. -~g
| Samples of, the Saaz hop have been re-
| ceived from Bohemia.
This variety is without exception con.
| sidered to be the finest grown in the world
and forms the standard of excellence to
| which all other varieties are. compared
1t is cultivated only in the vicinity of Saaz
! in Bohemia. Although the quality is the
| finest, the yield per pole is only three
| ffths that of the Semsch. 1t is grown or
brick-red soil, a flisintegrated REQ
sandstone and growers claim that it only
| reaches it's superlative excellence in the
| vicinity of SaaZ
Among the hop cuttings imported are
| those of the Spalt hops from Bavaria. This
is said to be a very fine hop, grown in g
restricted area in a vicinity Of Spalt, ant
| Is renowned throughout Germany as nex1
to the Saaz and Auscha hops. Consider
able quantities of this hop are imported
| into the United States The cuttings were
distributed in Washington and Oregon
These hops sold on the Spalt market thi:
year for 80 cents per pound
From Lake Constance.
Mr.. Farchild has sent cuttings of thu
Tettnang hop from Lake Constance II
Germany. This Is said to be the earlies
ripening variety grown in Europe, frequent
ly reaching maturity by the end of July
It's quality is variable and 1t command
but a moderate price. Among other varie
ties Of the hops which the Department o
Agriculture Is experimenting with are tn
Wolnzach, from the vicinity of Munic
and the Schwartzingen. The Wolnzac
hops though considered inferior to Saa
and Spalt varieties bring good prices HOP
| of this variety sold during the past SeasO
at % cents per pound in Nuremburg III
| yield varies from one-fourth to one-thlr
of pound per pole.
| The Schwartzingen hop is one OF the bes
European sorts. 1t ripens about the mic
die of August, and is not as delicate a
Spalt and Saaz but is valuable on accoun
/ of it's early ripening.
The "Hanna" Barley.
, Considerable attention is being paid b
the director of plant industry to the prepa
CATION of barleys. One of the importe
varieties is the Hanna" from Kwassit
' Moravia. This variety is celebrated a
| over Europe as one of the best breWln
barleys in the world. 1t is noted for II
: early time of ripening, it's unusually heav
: yield and the starchiness Of its kernl
: Although there is heavy duty on barle
in Germany large quantities OF this vi
riety imported every year for use
. the famous hofbrauhaus, German sta
v institution. The average yield of Ham
i barley is said to range from seventy
eighty bushels per acre. 1t is grown
= | the region of Hungary, where the china
. | is similar to that of our prairie states, tt
: summers being very hot and dry 1t
sown in March and ripens by the midd
. | of July.
: Importations have also been made
y Pilsen barley, which is said to be in son
respects superior to Hanna barley f
brewing purposes in that it works east
r than the last named variety. Sampl
!: have been sewn by the Department
Agriculture.
y Lower Frankish brewing barley is OIL
l. of the most noted brewing barleys in &c
many. 1t has a very heavy grain, tn
, chaff and large percentage of stare
l. In cross section the kernel Is snow whit
Bavarian and Bohemian brewing barle.
sell for prices 25 to 30 per cent high
than the best American bar1eys.
Mr.. FaiTchild secured small quantity
u | no ha WI WA