The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-04-05


ball circling through space, covered with a
film of plants, animals, and men in constant
change. So varied is this film of plants that
there are probably half million distinct, spe-
cifc forms in 1t, and yet man uses only a few
hundreds for his own purposes
To change, in measure, the distribution
Of the really useful plants of the world is what
the office Of foreign seed and plant introduce
ton Of the Department of Agriculture is try
ing to do. The motive underlying this work
might be called the ambition to make the
world more habitable. If is inclined to
be pessimistic with regard to the food supply
of the world, he has only to talk to any one
of the enthusiasts of the Department Of Agri-
culture to get picture of the widening vista
of agricultural possibilities which would make
him realize that the food problems of the race
are not hung in the balance of our great plains
area, and that the food-producing power of
the world is still practically unknown because
we have just begun to study in modern way
the relative performance of different plants.
We may not always grow the plants we do
now. Some of them are expensive food pro-
ducers, some produce foods that are difficult
to digest, and some we may leave behind
we learn to like others better.
What to grow was not so serious a Ques-
ton to the early Phoenician peasant, who
knew perhaps dozen crops, as it is becoming
to the American agrculturist, who can pick
from the crops of all the world the one best
suited to his land and climate. Changes come
so rapidly nowadays that If man today talks
of pears" he may mean what are ordinarily
thought of as pears, or he may refer to alli
gator pears which he is growing in Florida
prickly pears which he is cultivating in
Texas. Both the alligator pear and the prickly
pear have come In as crops to be reckoned
with within the past fifteen years, and already
the stock-raisers of the South are wondering
If they should plant spiny or spineless forms
Of the prickly pear cactus, and the fruit
growers Of Florida are inqulring to which
of the several varieties of alligator pear tree
is going to be the most productive and profit
able.
To help find the plant which will produce
the best results of any that can be grown, on
every acre Of land in the United States, u.s. in
general the broad policy Of the Office Of seed
and plant introduction Of the bureau of plant
industry.
Although begun in systematic way and as
a distinct activity of the department in 1897
it has barely touched the fringe of its posi-
bilities The 81 900 different plant immigrants
| which have come in and have either died or
| are now growing somewhere in this country
represent small beginning only and have
merely helped to show the greatness Of the
possibilities which progress in agricultural re-
search is creating.
"You will soon have all the crops in," is
the remark Of those who have given the mat
ter little thought Our own lives change with
every moment Of time, and so do the lives OF
plants The strains of potato which our
grandfathers grew are, with few exceptions.
different from the strains in vogue today; and.
fitting their lives into the various conditions
of soil and climate, the original wild South
American species of potato. Solanum tube
rosum, assumes in the hands Of men a thou
sand different forms.
In whatever parts of the world new forms
may spring into existence 1t matters not; our
potato-growers should be able to try every
sort Of importance and every wild, hardy spe-
cies, whether it comes from the manse Of
Scottish parson is discovered as a wild spe-
cies along the Paraguay river by an American
railway bridge builder. is found among the
mountains Of Colombia by Jesuit priest, is
gathered by forest ranger In the dry regions
Of an Indian reservation in New Mexico, or
| is secured by trained collector from the
| Chloe Islands of the coast of Chile 1t makes
little difference; they must all come in as
plant immigrants to show what they can do
in the gardens of American experts. There
is always the chance that they may be thrown
out as Improbable; but, if they have desirable
| characters. they can be blended with others,
or exploited with others, if they are superior
! for any of the potato regions Of this country.
! 1t may be new to many that every day plant
| immigrants from different parts Of the world
arrive in Washington, and every day, through
the mails. hundreds of these disinfected ar
rivals go out to find a home in some part
| of the country
1t is difficult matter to give an adequate
| impression Of the magnitude and Importance
to the country of this stream of new plant i'm
migrants 4