The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-10
UNCLE SAM IS GIVING
Away THOUSANDS Of TREES,
Rare and Inferior Varieties Dis.
tributed by the Department
of Agriculture.
WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.

| WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY
Uncle Sam has inaugurated a new kind
OF gift enterprise. He is giving away trees,
young seedlings Of improved varieties, and
is starting in to distribute them broadcast
over the country. A building in the rear of
the Department Of Agriculture has been
set aside for the purpose. with a force of
men to pack the trees, some of which are
| simply tied up in bundles for mailing.
while others are shipped with their roots
inclosed in small cylinders which serve in
lieu of pots.
High hopes are entertained for a new
species frcm Washington State that grows
on a tree sixty feet long. which. because
the stem is too slender TO hold itself up
right, runs along the ground like a vine.
The vine" bears pods. in each of which
are found two filbcrts in place of the usual
single one.
Last fan "bud wood of the veritable Jor-
dan almond was obtained for the first time
from Spain. and before long grated seed
lings Of this unequalled variety will be
furnished to growers in California. Al
riohd growing is already an industry of
great Importance in that State, but the
| plartters have not been able to produce a
nut equal TO the far-famed Jordan, which
Is preferred to all others by confecioners
by reasen of its beautiful shape.
Many millions of pounds of Jordan al
monds are now Imported into the United
States Annually. but the prospect is that in
q few years from now We shall be in a po-
sitfon TO export them.
Uncle Sam employs the services of half
a dozen agriculture explorers as they
are called. whose business it is to ransack
every corner OF the world for whatever
seems desirable in the way of new or yaIu-
able plants. The same man who secured
the Jordan almond Notwithstanding the
obstacles thrown In his way by Spanish
RrnHyQrS- cont nyar mt lnnp II ~ .II,,j ,V,nnG's
Of some wonderful Persian walnuts. which
are six times the size of ordinary ones md
deliciouslv favored.
The wood has been used for graft on
common walnut seedlings. and already
some thousands of the grated trees are
on hand.
The growing of Persian otherwise known
as "Ensiish'') walnuts has become an i'm
portant Industry IN Southern California dur.
ing The last few years. the annual crop
amounting to more than 2.n0 90 pounds.
When ripe, the nuts-which are Enclosed in
a husk-are gathered by EARRING the trees.
to shake down these that are ready to fall.
and then they are dried in the Sun or by
artificial heat, so that they may keep we'll
ard not turn rancid. Once In bearing. a
plantation of Persian walnuts Is one Of the
best paying properties under the sun.
The trees do we'll as far north as South
ern New Fork.
Experience has shown that pecan trees
grown from the big paper-shelled seeds can
not be relied upon 10 reproduce their like.
Hence. is preferred to send out grated
seedlings. the bud wood being obtained
from the freak trees already mentioned.
Such seedlings may be counted on to yield
huge ruts. which. az soon as they come to
be grown In large quantities. are likely to
be the most priced Of all nuts in this coun-
try. even surprising the Persian walnut in
popularity. -
A grove Of these trees will easily give an
annual profit of $1,000 an acre to anybody
who has patience. to walt ten years for
them to come Into bearing. A full-grown
pecan tree Of the ordinary kind produces
two barrels of nuts each season. worth SIS
a barrel wholesale.
The cultivated chestnut Ia expected to
take care of itself from now on. Nursery
men are growing superior varieties Of the
very long the nuts. of giant Size and ex-
auisite flavor. will be on the market at a
moderate price. As vet they are only for
rich folk. tse. by cross fertilization. has
been made of the European marion, which
Is as big as a horse chestnut. and of the
JapaneSr rchestfhtrMEtieh is nearly twice as
larseSas the marthk. the pollen of the for
eign speciesr being employed to ~fertilize the
blossoms Of our native chestnut. One Of
these cultivated chestnut trees will yield a
clear profit OF $40 TO $50 per anfum.
The DEPARTMENTAL Agriculture b doing
its best to encourage. the cultivation OF the
coconhut palm In Fiorida. where large plan
tations are already in bearing. This is
probably the most valuable tree In the
world to MANKIND