The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-05-17
Government to Introduce Foreign
Trees and Grasses in this Country

Washington, May 16.-(Special. y
Encouraged by the success met in the
Introduction of many foreign crops in
this country, Uncle Sam is now plan
ming a world search for quick grow
ing trees and for hardy, nutritious
forage plants.
The reforestation of cut-over. and
burned over lands, and the revegeta-
ton OF overgrazed and tramp1ed-out
ranges are important factors in the
longevity of two great, industries
numbering and stock raising. II 1t
can help itself. the Government is not
going to let a single opportunity pass
whereby the timber supply may be res
plenished- or the interests Of stockmen
be protected. Lumber, meat. wool and
hides are necessary products In the
supply of which everyone has a direct
and vital interest.
Farsighted plans for both forest and
range improvement have Consequently
been formulated and an important pro-
gressive step is marked in the co -oper-
alive agreement just made between the
Forest Service and the Bureau of Plant
Industry of the Department of Agri-
culture, looking toward the introduc-
ton from foreign countries of useful
forest trees and forage plants. In the
Bureau of Plant Industry a number Of
agricultural explorers are employed,
whose business 1t is to travel all over
the world, especially in little-known
regions, and to search for varieties of
trees, shrubs, and plants, the intro
duction of which into this country
would he beneficial.
There are considerable areas of nom
agricultural land in the national fer
ests which are at present destitute of
tree growth but which are unquestion-
III knff a tAA f1aar-w aIN4O ~ =
of timber than to any other purpose.
If foreign species can be found>which
will be better adapted for the refor-
estation of these areas than are our
native species, the benefits will be in
calculabIe. In the same way the need
OF suitable forage plants for the re-
vegetation Of our overgrazed ranges is
very great. 1t is the intention of the
Forest Service to conduct careful ex-
periments with such species found by
the agricultural explorers as are deem
ed likely to be adapted to our .condi-
tons.
The United States is well supplied
with indigenous tree species, there be-
ing over 400 species compared with
less than 100 in Europe, but in spite
of this fact there are still some trees
in other parts of the world whose in
PRODUCTION may prove of benefit to this
country The example of the euca-
lyptus in Southern California Is
case in point. There a most valuable
hardwood species was successfully in
troduced and since 1t is a region where
hardwoods are exceedingly scarce 1t is
the more valuable.
One of our most important Western
forest trees, douglas fir, has been a
valuable addition to German forestry.
There are also other notable cases Of
successful Introduction to foreign
countries of our valuable native spe-
cies With the exceedingly wide
range of climate, soil and other con-
ditions, even greater success may be
expected in the Introduction OF foreign
species to this country.
IT is a we'll known fact among those
who have studied the behavior of OrI-
entail tree specie In America that the
Chinese specie are peculiarly we'll