The Washington herald., 1907-03-03

was crossed with an early cotton 20 get
| this result. did not mature TIL some time
! in October. Thus a gain of nearly two
months OF precious time, sure 10 be worth
millions 20 the planters when enough seed
Of tie new variety has been produced TO
allow Of general distribution, may even
tually be made.
Or. Galloway. the chief Of the bureau,
tells Of d new early cotton named the
Triumph. developed in a cotton breeding
( laboratory near Waco. Tex, which ma
lures ten days earlier than the variety
hitherto grown in that part of the Stare.
This cotton was produced naturally. III
other words IL was a sport, but luckily. a
sport which was noticed and developed.
( Ten days may not seem like a long time,
but the gain of more than a week in the
race with the destructive weevil IS bound
eventually 10 be worth millions. The
/ seed is ready for distribution this season,
while the variety described by DR.. Web
Der is not The latter has not even been
named. as yet
The breeding Of plants carried on by
the department is not confined to cotton.
nor 10 the South. There are ten tobacco
! breeding laboratories in the States of
Connecticut. Kentucky. Tennessee, Ohio.
Florida. and Virginia; tweuty-one FOR cot
! ton in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida.
Alabama, Mississippi. Louisiana, Texas.
| Oklahoma, Tennessee. and Arkansas;
twenty-three for corn in Connecticut
Maine. Maryland. South Carolina. Florida.
Ohio, Tennessee. and Texas; five for arid
plants in the so-calIed desert regions; one
for pineapples IN Florida. three for oats.
and two for potatoes. Prof. r /. Ben
nett has been closely associated with Dr.
l Nnbbar in his gDffpr, v-g~4-
Thousands of Varieties.
DIT. Weber has also sought natures Sc
crets quite successfully IN the production
Of citrus-fruits. BY crossing oranges,
lemons. grape fruit, and other fruits Of
that general class he has produced thou
sands Of varieties, most of them OF no
value, but thirteen new and valuable va
Tieties have been found and named.
The beSt Of these. a hybrid got by
crossing the tangerine orange with the
grape fruit, Is known as the tangelo. II
is larger than the tangerine, but smaller
than the grape fruit. with favor ap-
preaching that of the latter, but with the
loose skin of the glove orange. 1t is
too early as yet for this fruit to have
come into general cultivation, but it will
be feature of the market when it is
ready
There Is one great and important differ
ence between the work Of Burbank and
that of the departments plant-breeding
laboratories Burbank's Laboratory is 10
Gated in an exceptionally favorable spot.
both as to climate and soil. His plants
receive expert care while being devel-
oped, all the laborers on the Burbank
place being specially trained for their
work. Plants and fruits developed under
such conditions. and with such care. may
prove altogether untitled to the conditions
they must encounter when distributed
among the planters and farmers.
The departments laboratories, on the
other hand. are scattered over the cOun-
try No two are alike in soil or climate.
Some are in places where the rainfall is
heavy; others in regions Of comparative
drought Although directions for the
planting of the seed and the cultivation
of the plants are issued by the department
experts. the actual planting and cultiva-
ton are carried on by such laborers as
are employed regularly on the farm or
plantation where the work is done.
IT may be that Burbank attains the
more brilliant results, apparently. but
when a new variety has been thoroughly