Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-20

thirty-two bad men to other points, where
they could be taken care OF.
AT another time we ran into a nest of
Asiatlc cholora. which is quite prevalent
in some portions of the country. Three
cases broke out on the little steamer on
the Obi river, in the Tomsk province, in
which / was travelling. One woman who
was taken sick In the evening was dead
before morning When we got to Barnanl
we expected to be quarantined. but the
people of the town had the cholera worse
than we had it on the steamer and did
not stop us.
'In Mongolia 1 employed large number
of coolies to hunt for wild alfalfa plants.
They covered an area of many square
miles. / also hired some Russian soldiers,
who spent their spare time in searching
an arm of the Cobb desert. We had a
very lively sort of time. 1 knew that
the plant was there. but. like all other
desert vegetation. it was widely scattered
and had to be hunted so I subsidized en-
tire villages. and paid the people for
what they brought in.
Trip Into Turkestan.
after returning to Russia I shipped
my seeds and plants from Riga to Wash
ingtoD via Copenhagen, ard then return
ed to Moscow to get ready for a trip
into Turkestan and Persia to look for
Persian clover, which is one of the best
of the fodder plants of India and other
rainless regions. The Russians are intro
ducing 1t into all of their arid sections.
My journey from Moscow to Tashkent.
the capital of Turkestan. was made by
railway via Orenberg. over a newly built
track which the Russians have recently
constructed in order to bring food sup
ply and raw cotton into their markets
The railroad is already about 1.:O6 miles
long and is being extended still further:
The Russian government will also build
line northeastward to connect with the
great Siberian railway and tap the wheat
fields of Siberia, so that the people down
in the lower climates, in the southern por-
[ ton of the cars dominiOns. can get cheap
food and release part of their wheat
lands for cotton. They are now planning
to buy their wheat and raise more cotton,
which brings better prices. l saw some
American machinery up there. and it was
very popular.
"Tashkent is the center of the dried-up
part of Asia. with an area two-fifths as
large as that of the United States: but 1t
is very dry country: the larger part OF
it is desert. This land was once occupied
by a vast population. which had extensive
irrigation systems and great wealth. The
Russian government is trying to re-estab-
lish the irrigation plants and revive the
growing of cotton and other staples which
fiourished during the time of Tamerlane
and Alexander the Great. Their irriga-
ton works were destroyed and their plan
tations were abandoned in the struggle
between the contending civilizations, and
the country has been practically idle
since.
Suitable for Southwestern States.
IT got good supply of Persian clo-
yer seed, and expect to get more. 1t
is especially suitable for western Tex
as, New Mexico, Arizona and the west
ern parts of our cotton belt.
ST visited eight different nations,
travelling several hundred miles among
the Mohammedans and picking up
what I could. That country has been
sealed up by Russia, and the officials
do not allow foreigners to go in there.
SO that I had to get a special permit.
But everybody was very courteous and
helpful. both the officials and the peo-
pie, and 1 had no trouble at all.
The Russian government is trying
to help the people by lettering their
economic condition. and has secured
way. 1t is fixing up their temples,
so many of which are in runs.
1t is assisting the to construct
irrigation facilities, showing them how
to farm and raise stock, and is en-
couraging the cotton industry in every
way possible. 1t is taking up the for
estry problem also, is helping to plant
trees and showing the people how to
make the most of their labor in de-
veloping the great natural resources
of the country. 1t is a mighty poor
country though. 1t has been drying up
for centuries, for it is very difficult TO
get water there.
Since the opening of the new rail-