Evening star., 1901-10-09
WORK OF SCIENTISTS
Results of Research in Numerous
Foreign Fields.
VALUED ACQUISITIONS at THE zoo
Department of Agriculture Seek
ing Markets for Dairy Products.
e L FIT OF ERBAR RUM

The past seven days have been replete
with interest for Uncle Sans staff of scien-
lists in all Of the four great institutions of
research and investigation. AS stated re-
Gently in The Star. the season for field work
is drawing to a close, and those who have
been out in the field during the spring
and summer are arriving with the interest
ing results of their Investigations.
Among the institutions which have re-
Gently profited from the research abroad is
the National Zoo, which received Monday
from the Carl Hagenback animal house.
Hamburg, Germany, three kangaroos, an
acult male and female, and a half grown
male of the variety known as the red
Kangaroo" Indigenous to the eastern and
southern portions of Australia. These ami
mails We're shipped from Hamburg on the
steamer Patricia, reaching New York Sun
day They arrived at the Zoo in excellent
health and condition, much to the satisfac-
ton of DR.. Baker, the director
The arrival of these animals is in the
nature OF very important accession to the
park The red kangaroo" is the largest
OF all the numerous varieties of the animal
indigenous to Australia, and a quadruped
OF great rarity, this being one out of about
hve or six pairs in the possession Of zoolog-
lcal gardens in the United States
The National Zoo prior to the arrival of
these animals possessed specimens of the
gray kangaroo and Bennett's kangaroo
but these are the first and only ones of the
red species to reach the institution
The male of this trio is a perfect giant,
being fully six feet tall when standing tri-
podlike, on his hinder limbs and using his
tail as a third support. A glance at his
powerful rear limbs is enough to convince
any one that what Australian hunters have
related about these animals being able to
kill or disembowel a dog with one stroke of
either right or left hind foot is no fabri-
cation.
The National Zoo also received yesterday
an axis deer and Barkary sheep, both fe-
males; the former from one of the parks
of Scotland, the latter from New York
Each is designed as mate for an animal
of the same variety already at the Zoo.
Valuable Acquisition.
The work of moving the magnificent
herbarium of 10000 specimens of the late Dr.
Charles Mohr, state botanist of Alabama,
from the capital of that state, Montgom-
cry, to the national herbarium in this
city is now in progress under the direction
of Prof. F. V. Coville, chief botanist of
the Department of Agriculture The her
barium is worth at the lowest estimate
5000
DR.. Charles Mohr botanist of the state
of Alabama, and one of the greatest of
modern plant Investigators died last Au-
gust, and in his will probated recently left
to the National Museum his wonderful
herbarium, the one mentioned. the result
of labor of collection extending through
siXty-five years, and representing the en-
tire flora of the southern states from Sa-
Vannah to Santa Fe and from Baltimore
to Key West.
Speaking of this magnificent gift, Chief
Botanist Coville said:
1T is by far the most valuable addi-
tion to the national herbarium ever re-
ceived since its establishment"
Before he died Prof Mohr cataiogued all
his specimens, and, at the same time, wrote
a description of southern fora which will
appear in forthcoming report of the de-
partment
Striking Similarity.
One curious fact, often noticed by Dr.
Mohr, and which he calls attention to in
this description, is the striking similarity
of the flora of the eastern southern states
to that of Japan, Corea, Manchuria and
China
The collection includes not only every va
riety Of tree, plant, grass and herb indig-
enous to the south, but there are in the
collection specimens of every species of
diatoms, alsea, seaweed, sponge lichen
fungus. slime-mold moss and fern found in
the south.
The Department of Agriculture has been
anxious for some time past to secure as
many specimens of the fauna and flora of
Alaska as possible, and yesterday CHIEF
Botanist Coville received from a collector
in Port Clarence, Alaska. a herbarium of
1,oOO specimens of the flora of the Cape
Nome district.
This may sound trihe strange to most
people. who have imagined Cape Nome as
a place practically destitute of flora, but
the facts are that even in this high lati-
tude there is quite a wealth of shrubs
bushes, lichens and flowers that seem to
spring up, bloom and fade in a day in the
short hot Alaskan summer.
Markets for Dairy Products.
The division of dairy products and dairy
ing of the Department of Agriculture is
seeking markets for American butter,
cheese and condensed milk in all of the
West India islands, Hawaii. the Philippines
China, Japan and Guam. Director Alvord
sent out agents to the regions aforemen-
tened several months ago. from whom he
is now receiving reports of a highly inter
esting character, all of which will be en-
bodied in a bulletin that will be issued in
December.
A summary of the reports received by
Director Alvord reveals the interesting fact
that large quantities of butter and cheese
are consumed in jamaica Cuba, Haiti and
Porto Rico. especially in the latter island |
and that up to now these islands have
for their supply.
The bulk of the butter sold in these is |
lands comes from Denmark, which country
has what is practically monopoly of the |
and Holland supply about a third of the
dairy products used in the West Indies.
Now that agents from the United States !
are in the field, 1t is stated that both deal |
ers and customers are willing to buy Amer |
lean butter and cheese. and In a majority |
of cases, have expressed a preference for /
these two products sent from the United |
States. |
Over in the east conditions are some
what different. The natives of Japan, |
China and the Philippines have never 1
learned to use butter as an article of diet. /
and, in consequence. all the butter and /
cheese marketed in these countries are for /
the use of European residents.
There is, however. quite a large Eu- /
ropean and American population-English, 1
French, Spanish. Portuguese, Dutch, Rus
sian and Swedish In all the large seaports, |
from Nagasak to Singapore. and up until |
how they have depended entirely on Aus
ralia for their supply of butter and cheese
where Australia Has Monopoly.
The agents Of the Department OF Agricul- 1
lure find that the United States will not be /
able to compete on equal terms with Aus
.ralia in the matter of supplying the mar
kets of this coast region with butter and |
cheese. for the reason that Australia lies |
several thousand miles nearer the markets