Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1907-05-23
PROF. E. C. GREEN GOES TO
THE BROWNSVILLE PLANT
LABORATORY.

Mr.. e. G. Green, associate
professor of horticulture in the
Agricultural and Mechanical
College has resigned his position
to accept a better one with the
United States Department of
Agriculture. He has just been
made promologist in charge of
the Texas garden, the so-called
plant laboratory which the Fed
eral Government is to establish
at Fort Brown near Brownsville.
His appointment became effect
i've April l, but through the
courtesy of the department he
will be allowed to remain until
June and round out his years
work with the college.
Mr.. Green has just returned
from a ten days trip to Wash
ington, where he has been in
consultation with the heads of
the departments that are con-
cerned in the garden. Naturally
he is enthusiastic over the pros
poets of the work and the great
opportunities that lie before him
as a scientist and practical prom
ologist. There is no reason why
he should not do for the Gulf
coast country what Burbank is
doing for California in the way
of plant breeding and the devel-
opment of species. He says
every one connected with the
department at Washington
evinces the keenest interest in
the work to be accomplished by
the new enterprise. Each one
had some theory or pet scheme
that he wished to see tested, and
the Brownsville region bids fair
to become a familiar haunt to
the Government experts.
Mr.. Green says the War De-
partment has turned over to the
Agricultural Department for the
use of the garden all the land
and buildings he asked for, and
will ultimately turn over all the
buildings at Fort Brown and the
600 acres of the reservation.
Thus will Fort Brown become
a fruit and flower garden; thus
does the sword become the prun-
ing hook. Forty acres of the
reservation will be cleared dur
ing the summer and planted to
fall and winter gardens and
fruits and will all be put under
irrigation. The garden has some
$4,000 with which to carry on
its operations between this date
and July, 1908.
Work will begin along the line
of developing improved varieties
of fruits and truck crops already
grown in the coast country and
of introducing new and untried
Varieties from foreign lands.
Bananas, pineapples, Smyrna
figs, dates and all varieties Of
citrus fruits will receive atten-
ton. An effort will be made to
improve and domesticate the
guayule plant, from which india
rubber is being extracted. The
pistasche nut, which is consid-
cred much superior to the al
mond and Japanese grass, from
which the Celestials make mats,
will be introduced and their
adaptability to our climate and
soil will be tested.
Mr.. Green brings another
piece of news which will be of
interest to the truckers in the
coast country. At his request,
DR.. Howard, head Of the Depart
ment of Entomology, has agreed
to detail one of the Govern
ment's expert entomologists fol
duty along the Gulf coast. HI
will reside at the garden a
Brownsville and will devote al
his time and attention to com
batting the insect pests that in
fest the trucking districts. Il
addition, it is quite likely that
plant disease expert will also b
located at Brownsville.
Mr.. Green, who has the homo
of launching this enterprise
which means so much for larg
district of Texas, is a gradual
of the Michigan Agriculture
College. He was instructor j
horticulture for one year at II
University of Illinois. For tt