The Washington times., 1909-08-14
FRANK \. MEYER
TO SEEK NEW FRUIT
Will Travel TO the Little
Known Regions of Old
Asia.

Like the spies sent out by Joshua
into the land Of Canaan, Frank n.
Meyer, special envoy of the Department
of Agriculture, hopes to return to this
country from an expedition into hitherto
inaccessible lands of Asia laden with
choice varieties of grapes melons,
peaches. and apples which will give
tremendous impetus to fruit raising IL
America. Mr.. Meyer is packing his
trunks now at the department, and Will
start for the Orient within two weeks.
Reports have come to the department
out Of Tartar land that at Samar-
kand, where once reigned the dreaded
Tamerlane, grows the largest and most
luscious grapes in the world The fruit
Of Spain and France which produces
the most priced of all wines are taste
less when compared with this product
of the vineyards of Tartary. All prior
efforts to transplant the priced vine to
western land has failed, but Mr.. Meyer
is taking precautions this time which
he believes cannot fail.
On trip three years ago Mr.. Meyer
brought back rare specimens of per-
simmons and other fruits. This time he
viii devote his time almost entirely to
investigating the grape.
He will sail from New York for London,
will go from there to Paris and from
there he will go TO st. Petersburg, where
he will obtain a number Of passports
necessary for the expedition.
Route of Trip.
From the Russian capital Mr.. Never
viii travel south to the Caucasus
mountains and thence east. visiting the
famous cities of Samarkand and fash
kend. This will bring him into region
which he describes as the garden spot
Of the world
Besides grapes" saws Mr. Never.
"the region is rich In numbers Of
different sorts of apples, with which
we are unacqualnted. and the same
is true OF melons, peaches, and
various others kinds of fruit. There
is a large, soft-shelled almond peculiar
to this region. and divers other nuts
which might be successfully introduced
into this country. and this and other
sections OF the Orient which I will visit
IS rich in alfalfa and various forage
crops which will form subjects of in
vestigation.
In the matter of improving the for
age crops of this country. Secretary
VestigatiO with this object will form
one of the principal features OF my
work in this expedition. The climate
OF the countries which / VIII visit more
nearly resembles that Of the United
states than that Of any other portion
Of the globe, it being remarkable for
absence OF the moisture which charac-
terizes the whole of Western Europe,
and presenting much the same extreme
OF heat and cold as does a great poT-
| ton Of this country"
VIII Cross Desert.
Before reaching the extraordinarily fer
tile plain Mr.. Meyer viii traverse a
| desert region. From Tashkend he will
start on a journey by caravan overland
TO Picking. a trip which will take him
through Turkestan and the entire Chi
pese Empire from west to east. This
caravan tour will occupy. he estimates,
at least eight months
| In the private vineyards and gardens
/ of Tashkend, a city whose enclosing
wall OF sun-dried bricks is twelve miles
/ in circumference Mr.. Meyer hopes to
/ secure some especially choice kinds Of
grapes and other fruit These vine
yards, interspersed among the houses,
occupy a considerable portion of the
City's area. and have been famous in
story and legend in the Orient.
The extreme cold which ne expects
/ to encounter In the mountainous re-
| gions. such as those of the karakorum
mountains, on the Indian frontier. was
suggested by boots Of thick felt lined
I with raw Sleeps wool. an article OF
/ clothing not worn, as 1he explorer re-
marked. In any portion of the United
/ States. Indeed, all sorts and varieties
| of garments, from fashionable dress
suits 10 the most fantastic and semi
/ barbarOUs tuEics, boots and hcadgear,
were included In the travellers outfit.
/ MI Meyer will traverse in part the
/ same regions which were explored by
/ Sven Hcdin, the famous traveller and
naturalist, a short time ago He will,
/ in all likelihood, not penetrate into
/ Tibet, on account of the British GOV
4 ernments rigid restrictions against ad-
/ hitting foreigners into that country