El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-11
How the Plants and Animals Of the
People are Improved By Government
Great Work Is Done for the Country of
Agricutue-Searches in Every Of the Earth
By FREDERICK j. HASKIN

, also had an important part in the Work
Of sanitary Improvement OF mix sup
plies, and has cOOperated with the au-
thOrities of many cities to that END.
The Study OF Plants.
One Of the most interesting bureaus
in the department is that Of plant IN
dustry. This bureau studies the dls-
eases Of plants as carefully as physl-
clans study the diseases Of men. II
not only disseminates Information with
reference to the diseases, but is con-
stantly experimenting in its efforts TO
produce specific remedies. For IN
stance, it formerly was the custom OF
apple growers to spray their trees.
with copper compounds. Ihese were
found to be Injurious, and the bureau
of plant industry worked out a new
method Of spraying with non-inJurlous
compounds. In its investigation OF the
fruit spot and leaf disease, known as
cedar rust or orange rust OF the apple,
remarkable fact has been discovered
The fungus which causes the disease
must have each alternate generation
on the red cedar. If the red cedar IS
eliminated from the vicinity OF apple
orchards this disease is easily stamped
out This method finds a parallel IN
the mosquito theory Of yellow IeVer
in the human race.
One of the most interesting acuNi-
ties of the bureau of plant INDUSTRY IS
its work in ransacking the world for
new crops for the American agr1cul-
turists. 1t has brought dates from
Egypt and the oasis Of the sahara
durum wheat from Russia, m1llet from
Siberia wild peaches from China and
many other plants from every region
OF the world In addition to this II
has been carrying on process OF
cross breeding in plants Wnlcn mas
been of fnestimabIe economic value 70
the American people. 1t has been esu-
mated that the Introduction OF durum
wheat is worth millions Of dollars One
Of the remarkable successes of the
bureau In cross breeding has been the
development Of an orange hardler Inah
the Florida orange By crossing IhaL
variety with a worthless but hardy
orange tree from Japan
Securing Foreign Plants.
That the bureau has a wide field OF
research in the adaptation of plants Tor
the needs of the American people IS
shown by the fact that there are more
than 100, 900 different species OF plants
in the world of which less than 7VVV
are utilized, by mankind The people
of the United States use only ABOUT
800 kinds except IN the most limited
way. One needs to 60 no further than
the rice industry to find what Wealth
may be produced by an introdueea crop.
. There are now upward OF fUO,UUU acres
Of rice grown annually in the United
States and the farm value Of the crop
amounts to $4,000, 600.
In its efforts to eliminate Dad ourn-
ers'' from cigar stands, the bureau OF
plant Industry has constructed a
mechanical smoker, consisting OF
series Of glass tubes so arranged that
each smokes a cigar Just as man
would except that the puIIS are OF
I exactly uniform strength in each tube.
A carefully adjusted aSpirator draws
the proper intermittent current OF air
through the cigar, and accurate ob-
I serVatiOns are made to determine the
: rapidity with which each one burns.
I Each cigar is carefully scored upon
/ the several points which go to make
/ I'D a good record. Some burn evenly
some rapidly ana some down on one
I side In others the wrapper Fuckers
ahead of the fire, and a black metallic
looking ring forms around the cigar
/ These are undesirable The character
/ of the ash is also tested, md II II
flakes. badly. or is dark and duh the
{ cigar is not q good one.
Farming Experiments.
The bureau also has charge of farm
/ ing experiments and Investigations. 1t
Of cultivation millions Of acres OF arid
! land can be made to produce the finest
! kinds Of crops, and that without irri-
J cation. The important essential is to
( pillow very deep, and to pillow very often,
/ thus keeping loose soil at the surface,
through which the moisture below can
not escape.
/ The work of mapping. classifying,
and investigating the soils of the agri-
cultural districts OF the United States
{ is intrusted to the bureau Of soils. This
! bpreau is engaged in making detailed
, maps Of important areas throughout
! the better developed sections Of the
country and reconnaissance maps,
flshowing less detail of the great plains
region and other spapsely settled dis
/ tricts It also studies fertilizer re-
/ quirements and the relation OF diff
! ferent types Of soil to crops. with a
view to determining what crops can
{ be grown most advantageously- Seven
hundred different types Of soil have
been found in the areas so far sur
! veyed.-Copyright 49,, by Frederic J.
3 Haskin.
Tomorrow ''The Weathe.- Bureau"
(This is a part of a ehaT ter on the
department of agriculture, I.Om the
I book The American Government" by
{ Frederic J. Haskin which now is Of
( fered to the readers Of The FL Paso
: Herald on most advantageous te.-pas.
See notice elsewhere on this page.)