The San Francisco call., 1904-12-07

worth of plants and their products
every year. Strenuous efforts are be-
ms made to import from foreign coun-
tries such grains as are suitable to our
varying localities. Seven years ago we
bought hree-fourths of our rice; by
helplng the rice growers on the Gulf
coast to secure seeds from the Orient
suited to their conditions, and by CIV
ing them adequate protection, they now
supply Rome demand and export to the
islands of the Caribbean Sea and to
other rice growing countries. Wheat
ana other grains have been imported
IRON light rainfall countries to our
iands IN the West and Southwest that
nave not grown crops because of light
precipitation, resulting in an extensive
adultlon to our cropping area and our
oine-making territory that cannot be
irrigated Ten million bushels of first
ciass macaronl wheat were grown from
these experimental importations last
ynar. fruits suitable to our soils and
chmates are being imported from all
the countries Of the Old World--the
Ig from Turkey, the almond from Spain,
the GATE from Algeria, the mango from
India. We are helping our fruit grow
ers TO get their crops into European
markets by studying methods of pres
erVatlon through refrigeration, packing
ana handling, which have been quite
successful. We are helping our hop
growers by importing varieties that
rlpen earlier and later than the kinds
thev nave been raising, thereby length
ehlng the harvesting season. The cot
Ton crop of the country is threatened
with root rot, the bollworm and the boil
weeviL Our pathologists will find i'm
mune varieties that will resist the root
disease and the bollworm can be dealt
with, but the boil weevil is a serious
menace to the cotton crop. 1t is a
Central American insect that has be-
come acclimated in Texas and has done
great damage. A scientist of the De-
partment of Agriculture has found the
weevil at home in Guatemala being
Kept In check by an ant which has been
brought to our cotton fields for obser-
Vation. 1t is hoped that it may serve
good purpose.
The soils of the country are getting
attention from the farmers standpoint,
and interesting results are following.
we have duplicates of the soils that
grow the wrapper tobacco in Sumatra
and the filler tobacco in Cuba. IT will
be only A question of time when the
large amounts paid to these countries
VIII be paid to our own people The
reclamation of alkali land is progress
ing, to give object lessons to our people
in methods by which worthless lands
may De maze productive.
The insect friends and enemies of the
farmer are getting attention. The enc
my OF the San Jose scale was found
near the Great Wall of China, and is
now cleaning up all our orchards. The
fig fertilizing insect imported from Tur-
key has helped to establish an indus
try in California that amounts to from
fifty TO one hundred tons of dried figs
annually, and is extending over the
Pacific Coast. A parasitic fly from
South Africa is keeping in subjection
the black scale, the worst pest of the
orange, and lemon industry in Califor-
MIA.
Careful preliminary work is being
done toward producing our own silk
The mulberry is being distributed in
large numbers. eggs are being imported
and distributed, improved reels were
imported from Europe last year, and
two expert reelers were brought to
Washington to reel the crop of cocoons
and teach the art to our own people.
The crop reporting system of the De-
partment of Agriculture is being
brought closer to accuracy every year.
1t has 250,000 reporters selected from
people in eight vocations in life. 1t has
arrangements with most European
countries for interchange of estimates,
so that our people may know as nearly
as possible with what they must COM
pete.