Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-06
PLANTS FROM FOREIGN LANDS.

Louisiana. Estimated value. per an
mum. $3,OOOOOO.
Swedish select oats-Cost about $500
to introduce. Annual increase in value
Of this variety In Wisconsin alone esti-
mated at 81 600 600.
Excelsior white Schooner oats-Intro-
duced in 1868 at cost of not more than
$1,000 Value of annual increase esti-
mated at $15OoO,O0O
Chevalier barley - Distributed, by de-
partment in 1871 at cost of about $1,000.
For many years one of standard varieties
In this country, the crop of which Is
worth many millions
Washington navel oranges-Original
cost of Introduction not on record. but
probably insignificant. Value OF the Cali
fornia crop alone in excess OF $10,o00oO
annually.
These are but eight instances out of
$500 AS a matter Of fact the list of
successful introductions is much longer.
but We're it not. the benefit gained mere
ly from these eight important American
crops of today is such that the work
would have more than justified itself.
The material gathered by explorers;
:consuls and correspondents comes in from
all over the world at the
Distributing rate Of ten shipments a
day. Prac tt ally all
AAAAeAS' come directly to the De-
partment of Agriculture. From here they
are sent to the Decentralization gar
dens of the Office, turned over to the
specialists of the department or; distr1b-
uted to carefully selected expert growers.
who are in a position to give them fair
trial and report results.
Four plant-introduction gardens have
charge of the work of propagating the
seeds and plants introduced. Miami. Fia;.
is the garden to which plants winch
thrive only below the frost line are sent;
.Brooksville, Fla, for the bamboo and 9TH
err oriental plants in particular, and for
plants which will Withstand some frost;
the garden at Chico. Cal. for the propa-
cation of a wide range of material IRON
all over the world on a large scale. this,
being the largest garden: and the upper
Mississippi valley garden for specially
cold-resistant plants These form the list
of gardens used for general propagation
The gardens at Phoenix, Tempe and
Yuma, Ariz, and at Mecca and 1ndio.
Cal, should, however, also be mentioned.
as it is here that the experiments are be-
ing made with date fntroductfons. These
gardens have now the most complete col
lection of date varieties in the world, and,
according to experts at the department,
it is only question of a few years when
the Amefican-grown dates will be sold on
the market.
Following the arrival of seeds or plants.
the particular circumstances connected
with them decide the next step. If seeuS,
they may be received in sufficient quanti-
ties to make it possible to distribute
them to a considerable extent at once.
On the other hand if but a few delicate
plants are received the utmost care has
to be taken to secure the proper treat
ment for them to insure not losing the
variety. In a case of this kind the
plants would be sent to the propagation
and they would be cared for several
years, perhaps. before sufficient seeds or
clippings could be secured to make even
a limited distribution.
All new seeds and plants are free. The
only point considered is their popularity.
For instance, a new variety of
All Are wheat destined to withstand
r. the cold of the northwest
would not be distributed in
discriminatory to the entire list of persons
seeking seeds and plants. This point
aside, however, the distribution is similar
to that of congressional seeds, and
usually takes place during the late winter
months, as at that time the plants can
best be shipped without injury.
! Several cases exist showing that the
early american fathers were as inter-
ested in the subject of plant introduce
ton as are the enthusiasts Of the Depart
ment of Agriculture today. Franklin
while in England as agent for Pennsyl-
vania, sent home silkwOrm eggs and null
berry cuttings. Thomas Jefferson during
the five years he represented this coun-
try as minister to France U7S4-17S9) for
Warded numerous seed samples of grasses
rice, peppers and olives to correspondents
at home, especially to the Society for the
Improvement of Agriculture, at Charles
ton, $. c. 1t was to this society that he
sent samples of rice seed. from which
some of the best rice in the world was
raised in the Carolinas.
notwithstanding these efforts to in
troduce new seeds and plants many
varieties of fruits and vegetables with
which we are now familiar were
scarce or unknown in the early part of
the nineteenth century. There were
but few seed farms, nurseries or seeds
men, and the illustrated seed catalogues
OF our day were unknown. Seeds were
mostly grown by the farmers them
selves and there was no Improvement
from year to year Interest in bet
ter seeds and in securing new seeds
and plants resulted largely from the
agricultural fairs inaugurated by the
various societies for promoting agri-
Charleston, 1884: New York, 1885;
Philadelphia, 1891; Boston, 1892, and
Washington, 1909.
A pessimist regarding the food sup
ply of the world has but to talk to the
experts at the Office of
Worlds foreign seed and plant
FL Introduction to secure a
"0"' different attitude Mr.
Fairchild claims that the modern study
of the relative performance of different
plants has merely begun. He shows
that crops change, and, in addition, the
same word may mean more today than
it did twenty-five years ago. AS an
example of this he cited the case of
the pear" crop. The ordinary pear
is first thought of, but the agrfcultur-
list might be thinking either Of the
alligator variety of Florida or the
prickly pear of Texas. Or, again, he
might be trying to determine which
variety of those two pears he had
better choose to secure the most salts
factory results. Thus have the agri-
cultural possibilities broadened.
All of the scientists who have made
explorations in search of plant immi-
grants do not belong primarily to the
office of foreign seed and plant intro
duction. In the majority of instances
thew are exnertS I'm some other branch