The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-08-11
THE BUREAU Of
PLANT INDUSTRY
WHAT 1T is DOING FOR THE
STATE OF FLORIDA-EXPERT
ARE KEPT BUSY AND WHOLE
WORLD SOUGHT FOR ADDI-
TIONS TO AGRICULTURE.

y
ment of agriculture is doing for Flor
ida is most important, and covers
many lines and embracing practical
ly the entire state.
United States Senator Duncan u.
Fletcher sought information from the
chief of this bureau regarding this
work. which will be of especial iu-
terest to FIoTidians, and which is as
follows:
The Work of the Bureau of Plant In
dustry in Florida.
The State of Florida Is well repre-
sented in the field work OF the bureau
o. plant industry. More than a dozen
different lines Of investigation, eX-
peTimentation, or demonstration are
now under way in various parts of the
state, and this work Is being con-
stantly augmented by TIE Inaugural
tiOn of new lines. Much Of this WORK
is applicable to the whole state ana
is conducted IN general way at
many localities; but many of the
more specialized lines are confined to
a small series of cooperative sta
tions, in order to simplify the expert
mental work and to obtain the best
results.
Work Conducted Generally Through
the State.
The work of a general nature COW
ers such diverse projects as plant in
PRODUCTION, forage crop testing, corn
breeding and testing, farm manage
ment Investigations, and farmers CO.
operative demonstration work. A
few words in explanation of these
lines may be of interest and value.
Plant Introduction
The bureau is almost daily sending
to its many CO-OpeTatOrS in Florida
seeds or scions of newly secured
plants from foreign lands. Trained
agricultural explorers have searched
remote parts of the world for new
things, which may prove to be val
liable additions to our agriculture. n
large portion of these new seeds and
plants are of tropical or subtrOpical
character, and the bureau has found
that Florida offers a particularly
promising situation for the testing OF
them. Co-operators in this work are
scattered all over the state, and they
are now testing such new plants as
Japanese bamboos, mating rushcs,
new tropical fruits and vegetables,
etc.
Forage Crop Testing.
In connection with its general seed
work, the bureau of plant industry is
carrying on extensive tests Of forage
IcroDs.aboth the STANDARD varieties and
newly introduced crops being under
trial. Much attention is being given
to the Improvement Of varieties Dy
breeding, and seed of these improved
strains is distributed to growers foI
testing A special agent of the bu-
reau has been engaged Cor several
years in the study and testing of for
age crops for the Gulf coast region
and much of his work has been car
Tied on in Florida. Not only the we'll
known forage crops, but new grasses.
cassava, and other promising crops
are being tested and disseminated.
Corn Breeding and Testing.
In cooperation with the Florida
Agricultural Experiment Station. the
bureau is testing in various parts ot
the state the improved strains Of
corn developed by breeding and Sc
lection. This work includes both
field corn and sweet corn. Varieties
of greater yielding capacity than
those ordinarily grown have been Sc
cured, and these are being widely
adopted by growers. Improved meth
DDS of seed selection and caring for
seed corn are being demonstrated,
and a large number of farmers have
become interested in improved ag-
ricultural methods as a result of this
work.
Farm Management.
The farm management work of the
bureau has as it's main object the
study o. the methods used on the
most successful farms in a given re-
gion, and the application of the re-
suits of these studies to general
farming conditions throughout thai
and similar localities. For this pur-
pOse the country has been formed in
to twenty-fOur farm management
districts, one of which embraces the
states of North Carolina. South Car
Olina, Georgia and Florida. An agent
devotes his entire time to the work
in these states, visiting the various
farming sections, conducting demon
STATIONS with various crops or meth
DDS of crop ProductiOk. end gathering
data which will aid in devising i'm
proved methods of farm manage
ment and farm practice. Large num-
bers Of farmers are cooperating in
this work
Farmers Cooperative Demonstra-
ton Work.
This work, which for several years
has been conducted throughout the
boil weevil territory, has now been
extended into Florida and other
southern states. through cO-Operat-
i've arrangement with the general ed
Ucation board, of New York City The
work in Florida vas inaugurated less
than a year ago, and is, therefore, in
its infancy The general object OF
this work is TO teach improved cuI-
tural methods in producing the staple
crops. TO encourage the diversffication
of crops and, in sections which are
now invaded or are likely to become
invaded, by the boil weevil, TO do all
possible to prepare the farmers for
the inrOads of that pest. The present
work in Florida is confined to the
northern part of the state
Special Line of Investigation.
In addition to the general work ju u
described, the bureau of plant indus
try is engaged in a wide diversity of
experimental and demonstrations
work in various parts of Florida. COW
eTing such problems as the market
ing and transportation of perishabls
fruits, the improvement of citrus