The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-01-11

been rechristened. 1t is q much more
euphonious name, and is truly descrip-
tive of the place. 1t is to be left to
mature to beautify, and is simply meant
for place to get away from people.
Only the family will ever be entertain
ed at Pine Knob. in all probability.
The President would not have even his
family physician with him except for a
day. and then evidently to be ready
for emergencies, for he did not send
for Surgeon-General Rixey until the
day of his big wild turkey hunt. Then
the Surgeon-General appeared on the
scene. but his services were not needed,
fortunately. He is splendid company.
however. and the President likes him
for that. Miss Alice Roosevelt has
never been at Pine Knob. The Secret
Service man and the stenographer We're
sent back to Charlottesville to loaf
around that quaint old town until the
President got ready to return to Wash
iHgton.
Solicitor Penfield, of the State De-
partment, has resigned, and it is said
that the appointment of David E.
Thompson, of Nebraska, to be Embas-
sador to Mexico has something to do
with this sudden retirement of Judge
Penfield. Thompson was Minister to
Brazil. and whole lot of shady things
happened down there in which an at
tempt was made to mix Mr.. Thomp-
sons name. Judge Penfield, Solicitor
for the Department of State, was sent
down to investigate the reports. Solici-
tor Penfield Is said to have made a re-
port that would make good, racy read
ing. but which would not please Mr..
Thompson at all. and that the Depart
ment of State didn't like it. However,
1t was thought that Minister Thompson
needed a change of climate, so he came
home for time. He passed right
through Washington. hating here for
a day or two, but visit to the White
House was not scheduled. In a very
short time it was announced that he
had been appointed ambassador to
Mexico.
On the heels of this appointment
comes the retirement of Judge Pen
field. who simply quits" giving no
reason. 1t is said. however. that Judge
Penfield was asked by the State De-
partment to make a less sweeping re-
that he fatty refused to do so. In the
face of the adverse report made by
Judge Penfield on the investigation,
and Thompson's connection with the
whole business. the President made
the appointment. The Senate has not
stated that before it does act the Pen
field report viii be called for, and also
all information concerning the charges
against Thompson down in Brazil.
The members of Local Union No. 8,
United Mine Workers of America. of
Pittsburg. have decided to present to
Miss Alice Roosevelt as a wedding gift
q carload Of the best coal that can be
found in the anthracite region.
This will be done in appreciation of
her fathers services in ending the
great strike of 1902
In brief here is what the Agricul-
tural Department has been doing the
Past year:
Cooperative work with the Agricul-
tural Experiment Stations of the sew
eral States and Territories has been ex-
tended. School-garden work has been
encouraged in many ways. and IFS. 900
packets of seeds have been supplied to
schools. The work with cotton has in
cluded the conducting of demonstration
and diversifcation farms, and breeding
to secure early and weevil-resistant
types
Single germ beet-sugar seed will
soon be produced I'M quantities suf1i-
cient for field demonstrations. New
varieties of hardy oranges. new pine
apples, and new races of corn and cot
ton have been developed in the labora-
tory of plant breeding. Valuable
strains of tobacco have been obtained
by hybridization. 1t has been shown
that heavy seed produces better plants
than light seed
The growing of Winter wheat has
been extended into the southern por-
nf nak
and new cereals adapted to the South
ern States have been developed.
A new date garden has been estab-
lished at Yuma. Ariz.. which is devoted
especially to the cultivation of varie-
ties from the Persian Gulf. The plant
ing Of grasses as sand binders has pro-
duced important results. The effort to
cross lettuce gives promise of securing
varieties over those now I'm use.
At the seed laboratory 1894 germi-
nation tests and 1.415 tests for
mechanical purity have been made OF
1920 samples of seeds obtained I'm the
open market. 230 were found either to
be adulterated or misbranded.
The foreign explorations have re-
suited in the securing of many valuable
yarities of dates for the Government
date gardens in Arizona and California,
and also many important dry-land fod-
der plants.
The results achieved i'm combating
diseases of orchard fruits have been
especially gratifying. The cause of the
blue stain OF conifers and certain hard
woods, which results in the loss of S.
co., 600 or Sc, 900, 900 a year, has been
determined. and a simple method of
stopping the growth OF the fungus pro-
ducing the stain has been discovered
Remedies for the disease of orange
trees known as dis-back have been in
vented, and the proportion affected i'm
region where 10 years ago so per
cent. of the trees were diseased has
been reduced to less than one-tenth of
one per cent Disease-resistant grape
vines are being developed and propa-
gated.
In the Congressional seed distribu-
ton nearly 100000 packets and
packages of seeds and more than 23O.-
600 grapevines. strawberry plants. and
bulbs have been sent out.
Speaker Cannon has novel way of
helping lazy and Indifferent majority
out. Some bill of minor Importance
was up the other day for final passage
The Republicans voted for it i'm a muir.
muir, and the Democrats against il In
good, round tones. The Speakers eyes
twinkled, as he announced. 1.-The nays
seem to make the most noise but the
yeas have 1t and the bill is passed"