Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-07
INTEREST OF FARMING
EXPERIMENTS MADE By AGRI-
CULTURAL DEPARTMENT.
Representatives Are Busy at Work
Throughout the Country
This Summer.

The department of the government that
looks after farming industries works
hard and says little. Like a worthy
old farmer, who spends the good summer
months in hard work in his fields and in the
evening comes home too tired and hungry
to talk over his schemes, and then, when
winter comes with it's freedom from manual
labor out of doors, delights in talking about
what he has done in the past season and
is going to do in the next-somewhat like
him the investigators farmers of the
United States big farm. However, many
interesting notes can be gathered by or
lockers, who are careful not to disturb.
The bureaus OF chemistry, animal indus
try forestry, publications, and so forth,
are all making valuable investigations,
which 1t is hoped will some day be of
great benefit to the land by directly or in
directly aiding the farmers to see what is
the right thing to do, and teaching them
how to do it.
At present the boarding house, under the
direction of the aforementioned bureau, IS
giving its lucky unlucky boarders. as the
case may be, vacation, and will not re-
quire them to return to lis tables, loaded
with mysterious viandS, until some time IN
the fall
The bureau of chemistry is also busy,
seeing that the federal law, passed March
3, by which foreign adulterated foodstuffS
are supposed to be excluded from our
ports, is properly enforced, and stomachs
on this side of the water properly pro-
tected from undesirable things.
Bureau of Plant Industry.
Probably the most important work Of the
department is being done by the bureau Of
plant industry. In fact, TINS bureau seems
to be the one which carries out directly
the work c agriculture, and so, of course,
its men will be found at this time of the
year, for the most part, travelling about
the country.
has recently been ordered to New York to
make study of hops and write bulletin
In regard to it. Mr.. Handy has been with
the department for good many years
and is thoroughly acquainted with it's work.
NJ. A. Carleton, the cerealist in charge of
introducing and originating new varieties,
is on an extensive trip in the southwest,
taking notes and conducting experiments.
Mr.. Carleton first introduced into the
northwestern regions of the United States
the Russian durum wheat, which, 1t has
been found, will thrive where 1t is much too
cool for American varieties. This discov-
cry alone, it is claimed, is capable of add
ing millions of farm land to our country.
king Cotton" and his troubles have
been in the hands OF VIM A. Orion, who
has recently returned from a trip into
South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama,
where he has been devoting his time chief
ly to the study of diseases. Agriculturists
insist that the Importance Of this crop to
the United States cannot be over estimated
and experiments are being made in the
south and southwest with a view to origi-
mating new forms that will produce more
and far superior fiber. Recently the Egyp-
tan cotton was brought to this country.
and by hybridizatiOn 1t is said a variety
superior to the Egyptian has been pro-
duced
A Troublesome Disease.
M. B. Waite and his assistant. Mr..
O'Gara. are carrying on In Michigan an
extensive demonstration of the depart
ments method of Graduating the disease
known as little peach one of the most
troublesome of the diseases that attack the
peach crop. 1t is a shrinking of the tree
and fruit, which finally ends in the death
of the tree. Already one county in the
state has been gone over and the demon
STATIONS are proceeding very successfully
P. H. Rolls, pathologist in charge of the
subtropical laboratory, has been instructed
to return to Washington from Florida,
where he has been carrying on some eX-
periments of great Importance to fruit
growers In that and other orange-growilg
and truck-gardening states. His work. II
seems, demands some laboratory study here
a. home before 1t can go ahead in the field
Mr.. Van Schrenk is in Europe investigat-
ing methods of treating lumber to prevant
Its decay, with the hope of cheapening
American processes. He Is spending his
time principally in France.
1t Is a much-lamented fact that there is
no good table sweet corn grown in the
south. At present Mr. Hartley Of the bu-
reau of plant industry is inaugurating ex-
periments, the object of which Is to pro.
duce corn varieties that will be adapted tc
different given localities, and to the south
in particular.
Studying Tobacco.
A. d. Shamel is in Connecticut studying
tobacco with view to lettering It; and
J. b. Norton is investigating the status of
oats in some of the western states.
with all these men and many more
working for our crops improvement our
agricultural industry ought not to go into
decline very soon,' is the thought expressed
by departmental officials.
This coming winter many publications
calculated to be of use to the farmers will
be published very probably and the ex-
periments of the summer will be seen, it is
believed to have borne fruit.
A bulletin on wild rice" is now in the
press. 1t is written by Edgar Brown,
botanist in charge Of the seed laboratory,
and Carl Schofeld. botanist in charge Of
grain grade Investigations.