The Washington herald., 1912-04-28

That 1900 immigrants, representing
practically every quarter OF the globe,
have been admitted to this country in
the last 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
hopelessly useless aliens, hundreds Of
millions Of dollars have been added to
the country's wealth.
These curious immigrants, however,
some OF which are aristOcrats and some
pIebeians. are not human beings, but
plants and the method OF their introduc-
ton to this country constitutes one Of
the most interesting as well as one Of
the least known features of a work of
OF extreme Importance to the whole coun-
try which the government is carrying on.
Though few persons are aware of the
fact, Uncle Sam for a decade and half
has systematically been encouraging veg
etable 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 which human immigrants are sub
jected. Each specimen is scrutinized TO
see that II is free from disease and
likely TO become 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 thirty-one thousand
have been admitted by the bureau and
put to work increasing our national
wealth and diyersifying our food supply.
Departments CentraIIEes Work.
As might be expected, the handling of
these plant immigrants is one of the
fields of activity of the Department of
Agriculture where the curious visitor to
the departments immigration bureau
finds the work centralized in the office
Of Chief Agricultural Explorer FairchiId,
the top Of whose desk, Is likely to pre-
sent a strange appearance. being decor
ated. for instance, by a few specimens
Of cannon BALI fruit from tropical East
Africa, a number Of immense Oriental
persimmons free from quicker and a
bedraggled specimen of edible bamboo
just in from China, where it is a much
more important article Of food than our
asparagus, which II somewhat resembles.
Generally speaking. these plant immi-
.
classed as aristocrats and commoners.
One Of the. former in which the depart
ment is especially interested, which Is
in fair way to be given citizenship
in our markets, is the mango from India.
1t is totally different from the West In
dian Seeding mango reeking of turpen-
tine Mr.. Fairchild pronounces it the
most delicious fruit known. He de-
yscribes it as tasting a little like a pine
hNNN
of that fruit, possessing a hint of the
apricot and a delightful aromatic flavor
rare in fruits. Its texture is like that
of melting pear or a fine custard which
dissolves in the mouth. A hundred
mango trees were planted in California;
in 1907, and in 1910 one bore 500 fruits
which sold at Il, cents apiece, while the
latest reports from orchards now IN ex-
istence promise a large crop. In India
annual celebrations are held in honor of
the mango tree, Of which there are hun
dreds of varieties producing fruits rang
ing in size from a plum up to six
pounds. Curiously enough India after
centuries Of mango growing has Just
learned from a Florida nurseryman the
secret OF budding the mango, by which
one ~tree may become the progenitor OF
upward Of half a million new trees in
a four-yesr cycle.
49, other Strange Fruits.
Two other strange fruits which are in
a fair way to become contestants for
American honors are the Loquat from
China, and the Carrisa from Southern
Africa. The latter fruit is about ready
TO come on the market from American
orchards in California. 1t is brilliant
red in color about the size of a plum.
bot without the large seed of the plum.
Among the better known plant aliens
Of recognized desirability which have
immigrated from distant shores and have
become useful citizens are figs, dates,
flee, sugar beets, camphor. tea, and edI-
BILE bamboo. Perhaps the most impor-
tant, even though It be Of plebeian origin,
one which has literally built cities and
provided a livelihood for thousands of
people. produced an industry capitalized
at more than S1O0.0o0.OoO. and benefited
all kinds Of agriculture intellectually, is
the sugar beet
At nrsi confined TO California, il has
spread over some sixteen States, and Is |
annually grown. on 4e9,o14 acres. with a