The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-04-30

washington, ID. &, April -
$1,000 immigrants representing practi-
cally every quarter of the globe have
been admitted to this country in the
Hast fourteen years in spite of the fact
that they could neither read nor write,
and were deaf, dumb and blind into the
bargain, is a fact as little known as
that Uncle Sam has brought them in
without consulting their wishes and
set them to work without even a cent
of wages. Most surprising of all,
however, through the activities of
these apparently hopeless useless
aliens hundreds Of millions Of dollars
have been added to the country's
wealth. 2., q ..
These curious immigrants, however,
some Of which are aristocrats and
some plebians, are not human beings,
but plants, and the method of their
introduction to this country constitu-
tes Of one of the most interesting as
we'll as one of the least known fea-
lures Of a work of extreme Importance
to the whole country which the gov
eminent is carrying on. Though few
persons are aware of the fact, Uncle
Sam for a decade and a half has sys-
ANlAldLACdLlJ bGGAA SllSOuld FCBS-
table immigrants. To assist in this
work a plant immigration station is
maintained here where each specimen
arriving goes through an examination
very similar to that to which human
immigrants are subjected. Each spec
linen is scrutinized to see that it is
free from disease and likely to be-
come a desirable citizen and if so
helped to become established in this
country. How successful these aliens
have been is shown in the fact that
in the last fourteen years $1,000 of
them have been admitted by the bu-
Ia and put to work increasing our
national wealth and diversifying our
food supply.
As might be expected the handling
of these plant immigrants is one Of
the fields of activity of the depart
ment of agriculture where the cur
ious visitor to the departments immi-
grafton bureau finds the work cen
tralized in the Office Of Chief Agricul-
tural Explorer Fairchild, the top of
whose desk is likely to present a
strange appearance, being decorated,
for instance, by a few speciments of
cannon ball" fruit from tropical east
Africa, a number of immense oriental
persimmons free from quicker and a
b~edraggled specimen of edible bamboo
just in from China where it is a much
more important article of food than
our asparagus which it somewhat re-
sembles.
Generally speaking, these plant inn
migrants, which are all useful, may
be classed as aristocrats and common
ers. One of the former in which the
department is especially interested,
which is In a fair way to be given
citizenship in our markets, is the man
go from India. 1t is totally different
from the West India seeding mango
reeking of turpentine. Mr.. Fairchild
~pronounces it the most delicious fruit
known. Ee describes it as tasting q
little like a pineapple, but witlicur she
aciduIous quality of that fruit, pos
sessing a hint of the apricot and a de-
lightful aromatic favor rar in fruits
It's texture is like that of a melting
pear or a fine custard which dissolves
ia the mouth. "A hundred mango trees
were planted in California in 1902 and
tn 1910 one bore 500 fruits which sold
at IL cents apiece, while the latest
reports from orchards now lis existence
promise a large crop. In India annual
~ceIebrations are held in honor of the
mango tree OF which there are hum
dreds OF varieties producing fruits
ranging in size from a plum up to sis
pounds. C~uriously enough India after
centuries of mango growing has just
learned from a Florida nurserymar
the secret OF budding the mango, BIZ
which n tree may become the pro-
genitor Of upwards of half a million
new trees In a four year cycle. Two