Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-18
BOON TOR ARID LANDS
PRoFEeaoR HANSEN RErLRNs
FROM NORTH ASIA WITH
~ AEEps OF ALFALFA. -

TANNERS WILL GAIN
h.,uAr.,> FROM ARCTIC VARIETIES
q NSlS Ebbesen Hansen, professor O
horticulture at the State College Of Ag
45cuture. Brookings, s. D.. and chic:
plant explorer for the department o
agriculture at Washington, recently re
xnzned from his third journey int,
porthern Asia. bringing back three new
1aristies Of arctic alfalfa, clover tina
vii grow through ice and grape
that Is suitable to the semiarid re
gions Of the United States. Professor
Hansen has spent several years hunt
6ng through ancient and farof coun
tries OF the world for useful plants
grains and fruits that we do not 'havt
IN the United States. but are suitable
tUthe climate Of our northern latitudes
and viii furnish our farmers will
greater opportunities to diversity theil
crops and practice rotation which
N11l not exhaust the soil.
Professor Hansen has explored Rus
~, Siberia, Turkestan, Mongolia. Man
n u ~ pers,. Ia., sae"n' r nlrS
and other countries In search Of plant
Life that VIM endure the cold climate
- ~. ao.sAs = ~ o.u. s, anu nou.lsn :.
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We s IA, anu nus Deen 1elnarAaAs
! :: 49, 40 .ooe -,
(. a st.1 1870. nay e, 1eoo, upon ns
!atest e3pediuon, nom wnicn ne re-
yatned5 = snort u!ne ago gong mrs. g
Aoscow. Wnete ne Organized . htue
expedificn e FOUR ASSISTANTS VINO are
eamauaf VAN me languages rs Wen as
e inc posany o. noltnesn ASA. Win
them ho seateed eastward, crossing 81
beraA Into Chinese territory and trnv-
trsine Mongolia and Manchuria. He
teturned by way Of southern Siberia
ana through the foothills Of the Att
mountains and made a Journey Of 400
miles By wagon across the northern
part ofs the desert Of, Cobb and the
Hunger desert lof ,Turkestan. Then,
when he reached the Mediterranean,
he visited the desert Of. Sahara, look
Ing for plants that will grow in dry
climates.
ssThe object Of my Journey was espe-
cially TO ana hardy, alfalfas that will
srov In tho colder regions Of our
northwestern states," said Professor
Hansen. 1--WE wanted the northern
most plantp Of Asia for the farmers of
W1,eonsin. Minnesota, Dakota and
n6oninna. Who lose millions of dollars
6ttum the a1cessipo cold and open win
fer. without snow. Two years ago,
when I visited q part Of the same
srnunty thatI have been visiting the
iaat vear. I 6ound three varieties Of
yellow flower alfalfa which grow In
latitudes a. high as Ga degrees 80, min.
ates, across the arctic circle. I got
some sesd of one Of the varieties,
which u being tested at the expert
ment stations Of the agricultural de-
partmeut md this time I got a good
supply Of all three, but they will not
70 out pf government hands for some
fime yet until our experiments are
complets ana we have had an oppor-
tun1ky 10 det 1Emlne which are the best
eof1 md climate for them to grow In.
we are constantly receiving applica-
4ious Tor this and other seeds. but It
win b, several years before they are
ready 1pr distribution.
q had considerable difficulty in col
iect1ng seed, because most Of the al
falfa grows wild, sparsely scattered
over desert land, and that which is
cultivated Is 90 valuable to the farm
era that they do not want to let their
taed 10. The farms are few and
widely 1epdtated In most Of the coun-
tries y'yisited, and the farmers treas
are these plants. I was treated with
the greatest Kindness by everybody,
both the officials and the people.
In some places, however, particu-
larly IN Mongolia, It was necessary
for mo to have a Cossack escort for
protection 90 well as for guides"
1sWhat is the most interesting thing
you found ON your journey7" asked.
saThe most interesting things found
we're q clover plant and an alfalfa
growing near the point Of greatest cold
IN northern Asia. It was between va
kutsk and verkhoyansk, north Of Lake
Bailal on the sixty-second parallel Of
latitude. Glover and alfalfa grow wild