Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-15
A NEW DOOR
Has Been Opened To American
Farmers.

"a new door has been opened to the
farmer. He stands on the threshold of Il
field of forces that in their power to in
crease human welfare are the most
colossal that the world has ever known;
the creation out of the unutiliZed plant
world of an absolutely new plant food"
These are the words of David Faircilild,
agricultural explorer in charge of for
eign explorations i'll the United States
Department of Agriculture. Thoroughly
at hcmc in natures great laboratory,
which he finds fitted up and open for
work in every bit of agricultural land i'll
Enthusiastically laborng to help supply the
demand for new crops, that Is coming
from the awakening Of farmers to the
possibilities Of their soil. III the World 5
Work, Mr.. Fairchld says:
There are millions of acres of land
sOun every year with the wrong crops.
causing millions Of unnecessary crop fail
ureS. and there are millions of acres lying
idle for want of the proper plant cultures
for them. Ignorance regarding other
crops than those grown rather than an
unrcasoning conservatism is what has
made the farmer plant cotton and corn in
places where he should have soWiI alfalfa
or cultivated soy beans. He has been
blamed for this Ignorance which has cost
blame is not his The means nave not
been given him. and his seclusion until IL
decade or two ago has prevented his get
ting the Information about new crops and
the seeds to experiment with.
when the New England farmer found
it had ceased to be profitable to grow
wheat because of competition from the
great plains, it would have been worth
the countrys while TO have spent large
sums i'll the search for Il crop to take its
place. The Caroline rice planters have
fields because the Louisiana and Texas
planters can grow the crop more cheaply
and The discovery OF 4 substitute win be
Fairchild an agricultural explorer. who
brought to the knowledge Of, American
wheat growers, Il few years ago a fact
that has been of vast financial profit TO
them, viz. that species Of wheat. OF
which they knew nothing and from which
bread could be made that many people
in another nart OF the world. Moreover;
that this wheat would grow on srmi-arid
land. where ordinary wheat failed would
yield four bushels more to the acre and
would rot be affected by the diseases
which prevcd upon the kinds they had
been accustomed TO. Last year alone this
new whcat-the Durum-distributed
throughout the Northwest by the Depart
ment of Agriculture. yielded the farmers
who grew it a net income of $l,s1,ol0.
Since 1899 it has carncd for the farmers
of America $3.t0O0Ca.
Rice was the first irrigated crop to be
grown in this country. Strange as it
may seem the rice growers raid no heed
to the remarkable varieties grown 50
successfully III many parts Of the Orient,
but continued To plant the Kind they iirst
tried. Now. it is estimated that $%.oo)oVl
was annually lost by the rice planters of
Louisiana and Texas alone because they
kept on growing the long-kcrnelled kind,
that breaks in milling. instead of import
ing from Janln the short kcrnclled sort.
Tie Office of Plant Introduction has in
troduced s!lort-kcrncllcd rice. thus saw
ing millions to the rice planters of this
country.
TIE world are known or grown by Am"ri-
car farmers. Not only SO, hut III" vari9-
tics that are possible from crOsS-fcrtilza-
ton ny man can predict. II this realm
of producing new forms 81 lifc-susta ming
food and of encouraging the farmers Of
oUr country to experiment along this ling,
the Office Of Plant INTRODUCTION is meet
ing with great success.
"Thousands of farmers have already,
entered tn" field of plant breeding. and
not Z mail PASSES through til" nftc" Of
Plant Introduction without request IN
1t fer sCnc new plant to be .IiScd by an
enthusiast In the Creating Of "a new 81
the improving Of an old farm OF garden
plants like the asparagus bnt. easier
to grow and third more productive.
South American Wild celery to, cross on
the American varieties. improved horse
rltiSh that Yields Il ton or mere To ting
acre. new creations in oranges that com
bine tn" hardness of 4 thrrny Japanes"
hedge plant with the fruitng character
of the naval orange Of California. an
asparagus that shall have blended in il
the characters Of tho South african spe-
cies with the Mediterranean wild forms
that cover the. slopes of Sicily. new breeds
Of pears which shall combine the sweet
moss of the SecIlel with the resistance to
disease Of the Chinese sand pear. new
reaches that will not rot on the trees by
the millions of bushels as many varieties
do now when the season is q moist enc.
new cover crops for tho lawns in the arid
Southwest. new fodder grasses that have
hnan so improved hv selection that they
Weld fifteen per cent. more forage than
tho ordinary kinds: these are some of the
host of new possibilities upon which til"
EXPERTS Of the Government ana the
thousands of experiments over the coun-
try are at work