The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1912-03-22
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your minds the picture of n
ball circlng through space. covered with
him 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 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 introduc
tion of the Departm mt of Agriculture is try
Ing 20 do The motive underlying this work
might be called the ambition to make the
world more habitable. IF one Is inclined to
bc pessimistic with regard to the food supply
OF the world he has only TO talk 10 any one
of tho 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 diferent plants
We may not always grow the plants we do
now. Some CT them expensive food pro.
ducern, some produce foods that are dlncult
To digest and may leave behind M
We learn To- like others better
What 20 grow was not SO serious aues.
tion 10 tho curly phoencian peasant. who
htcw perhaps dozen crops, 40 II In becoming
To the American agricultural. who can pick
from the crops Of oil the world the ono beat
suited Co his land and climate. Changes come
20 rapidly nowadays that n man today talks
of pears" he may mean what arc ordinarily
thought Of "a bears. or he may refer 10 ALI.
gator pears which he In growing I'm Florida
or prickly pears which he Ia outiyatlng IN
Tesas 10th the alligator pear and the prlclsly
pear have come In crops to be- reekoned
With within the past nfteen years and already
tho Stockholders OF tho South are wondering
II they should plant Hpiny OF epineleaa forms
of tho pfickiy pear cactus and tho fruit.
growers OF Florida are inQulflng IA 10 which
OF the several varieties OF alligator pear tree
II going 20 be- the moai productive and proAt
abie,
To help find the plant which will produce
the best results of any that can he grown on
every mere Of land In the United States Ia. IN
general the broad policy OF the once OF seed
and plant introduction of the bureau Of plant
industry,
Although begun IN systematic way and aa
n distinct activity Of the department IN 1892,
~ has barely touched the fringe of it's posi-.
hftiea The fhOo0 different plant immigrants
which have come In, and hayb either died or
are now growing somewhere In this country,
represent small beginning only. and have
merely helped 90 show the greatness Of the
possibilities which progress In agricultural re.
search IL creating
You viii soon have all the crops In" IL
tho remark ~ those who have given tho mat.
ter little thought, our own lives change with
every moment Of time, and 80 do the lives OF
plants. The strains OF potato which our
grew are. with few exceptions,
different from the strains In vogue today: and
ntting their lives into the various conditions
OF soil and climate, tho original Wild South
American species OF potato solanum tube
rosun assumes I'm the hands of men A thou.
sand different forms.
In whatever parts of tho world new forms
may sprlng into existence 1t matters not: our
pot alto growers should be able Co try every
sort Of importance and every Wild. hardy spe-
ries. whether IL comes from the manse OF
Scottish parson, is discovered as Wild spe.
ries along the Paraguay river by an American
railway bridge builder. In found among the
mountains Of Colombia by Jesuit priest. Ia
gathered by forest ranger In the dry regions
,f an Indian reservation In New Mexico. or
Il secured by a trained collector from the
Chloe Islands OF the coast OF Chile. IL makes
little difference; they must all come I'm as
plant immigrants 10 show what they can do
n the gardens OF American experts There
Is always the chance that they may be thrown
,ut as Improbable: but, II they have desirable
characters. they can be blended with others.
DR. exploited with others. IL they are superior
Tor any of the potato regions OF this country
II may be new 10 many that every day plant
immigrants from different parts OF the world
arrive in Washington and every day through
he nails. hundreds OF these disinfected ar.
'fvas - OF. 10 find new home I'm some part
n the country.
II Ia a difficult matter To give an adequate
impression OF the magslSase and Importance
% tho country OF this stream o. new plant I'm
Migrants which for IL years has been pouring