Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-07-23
Criticism of Expenditures For
Experiments With Foreign
Seeds Makes Him Warm
WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED
Many Valuable and Profitable Plants
Now Grown in United States That
Formerly Were Unknosvn-Work of
the Department of Untold Value
Along That Line.

Washington, July 23.-Crfticism o
expenditures by the department of ag'
ricullure for the introduction Of for
eign seeds and plants into this countr.
is a thing that has a tendency TO make
the secretary of agriculture warm un.
der the collar. He has seen SO much
of the great value of the work If his
department in this respect that il
makes him out of patience to lind any
benighted being left in the United
States who does not realize what has
been done.
The secretary can cite figures te
prove that the people of thi., country
are many million dollars better off on
account of the departments aXplora
lions and Investigations in foreign
lands, and this tangible and measure
BILE benefit is so immense in the aggre
gate that it makes the expense, in
comparison, look very small indeed.
good illustra ton of the way Se:re-
tary Wilson looks at it is to be found
in the matter of sorghum That va,ua-
bic plant was introduced into the Unit
ed States in 1864 from Ch.na and
France, almost simultaneously, at a to-
tai expense to the department. of 49,
000 Today sorghum is grown all over
the country and the value of the an
nual crop is estimated at $4,000, 900
This, the secretary feels, is conclusive
evidence that if the government had
insisted on saving $4,000 in 1864 the
people in 1905 would be los RS in the
princely sum of $40,0O0,GOO
kaffir Corn Cost Only $1,000.
Kaffir corn is another Illustration. 1t
cost the department of agricu!tur. S5,-
900 to investigate and import that crop.
but it is now one Of the main resources
of the semi-arid southwest where the
annual crop is valued ut more than
$15,00O,000 Again, the depa 'tment
spent $4,000 in importing and expert
menting with durum wheat for lands
too dry to grow other kinds, and durum
wheat is now grown to an annual value
of s1O,O0O,00O.
When the department went into the
investigation of Kiushu rice at an ex-
pense of $4,000 it was as good an op-
portunity as the knockers will ever
have, but results have shown that even
in this instance the money was well
spent. Since the Introduction of the
japanese rice the area devoted to this
crop in Texas and Louisiana alone has
increased from 210,S96 acres in 1899 to
$1,000 at the present time, and in
the same period the value of the coast
n fyyn OF Zoe =
from 81 to $3.50 per acre to from $50
to $50 per acre. Examples could be
cited running thru the cereals and
fruits in numbers, all going to show
that the investigating that is being
constantly carried on by the depart
ment is one of the best investments the
government has ever made for the
welfare Of all the people.
Seeks Hardy Flax.
AT the present time the department
is trying to find a species of flax that
will Withstand the wilt disease, known-
ing that if successful it will be the
means Of putting millions into the
pockets of the farmers of North Dako-
worth $17,0OO,00O a year, and 1t is Sc
riously menaced by the wilt disease.
If wilt-resistant fa,: can be found
of acres of North Dakota
lands which have become FLAX sick
will be restored to the growing of that
crop and number of tow mills which
have been put out of business will be
able to resume.
Secretary Wilson taxes the position
that in every state in the union there
is need of some profitable crop to add
to those now grown ard that it is the
business of the department. to search
out these crops and bring them to the
people. a task which would be beyond
the means of almost all agriculturalists
if left to private enterprise.