Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-18

India and other rainless regions. The
Russians are introducing 1t into oil Of
their arid sections. Ny journey from
Moscow to Tashkend, the capital OF
Turkestan, was made by railway via
Orenberg over a newly built track
which the Russians have recently con
structed in order to bring food sup
ply and raw cotton into their markets.
II got good supply Of Persian
clover seed and expect to get more.
It is especially suitable for western
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and the
western parts Of our cotton belt.
II visited eight different nations
travelling several hundred miles among
the Mohammedans and picking UP
what could That country has beer
sealed up by Russia, and the officers
do not allow foreigners to 90 in there
SO that had to getSa special permit
But everybody was very courteous an(
helpful. both the officials and the PEG
>ple, and had no trouble at all. W.
'Since the opening Of the new rail
way the people have secured access t.
outside markets and are now shippin,
some extraordinary grapes from Tur
kestan called the 'maskah.' They are
grown under irrigation and have beel
cultivated by the Mohammedans fol
raisins and table use for ages, but they
I have never been shipped out OF the
country, and the seeds and cuttings
have not been accessible to foreigners
before. The maskah is very large
grape with superior navor-mucb
larger than our Hamburg grape. lgot
some vines and cuttings, which l hope
will be OF value to the Californians
and other people In semiarid regions.
obtained number of other varieties,
including two seedless grapes, bigger
than any we have now, which will be
the subjects OF experiment by the agri-
cultural department., but 1t will be sew
eral years before we can distribute
any Of them to private growers.
II came home across ancient Trans
caucasia, via Tiais and Batum, over
the Caspian sea, and took steamer
for Marseilles which stops at many
ports to discharge and take on car
goes, SO that had an opportunity to
go ashore and see good deal. l left
the steamer at Corsica and went over
into Italy to study the lucernes, which
are the alfalfnS of Greece and Italy.
From Marseilles went to Algiers and
made a journey into the heart Of the
desert Of Sahara to study the alfalfas
there.
II brought some seed from that des-
ert also. The Arabs have grown al
falfa as fodder for ages. 1t was car
ried over into Spain by the Moors
from Africa, from there to South
America and Central America and
Mexico. and from there to California,
and that is the roundabout way in
which alfalfa was introduced into the
United States. At the town Of Biskra,
In the, desert Of Sahara, from the
Arabs got quantity Of the seed of
the original alfalfa. A part of it will
be experimental with by the depart
ment Of agriculture, ana 7 will take a
part " DdAol6, Wuc1c VIC Wh USE ~
In the evolution that Is being carried
on BY our plant breeders.
1.-THE ideai alfalfa OF the future will
be q hybrid Of all the alfalfas Of the
world, sthe Wild and cultivated species
from four continents and from ali
climates. We now have the best ma
terials. and by the proper use Of them
we opght to be able to produce the
final variety for those sections of the
United States where a perennial legu-
minous forage Is needed with which
to feed our future meat supply
liam u. Curtis. Washington Cor. Chi
cago Record-Herald.