The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-02-06
$4,000 MILES
FOR GIANT PEACH
Uncle Sam Sends Agricultural
Explorer on Old Trip.
WEIGHS AT LEAST A POUND.

Frank N. Meyer on His Way to Shan
tung to Obtain the Juicy Chinese
Wonder, Which Is to Be Added to the
Product of These United States-To
Spend Three Years In the Wilds.
Twenty-Five thousand miles looking
for a peach-that is the stupendous
journey which has been undertaken by
Frank n. Meyer. explorer and expert
for the United States department OF
agriculture. The peach is worthy OF
the effort. according to stories that
have crept into coast areas OF Man
churia and eastern China.
The peach is described by travellers
who have seen and tasted it as the big
gest and most marvellous combination
of external beauty and internal lus
ciousness. Three pounds is the apocry.
phal limit ascribed to the fruit by ir
responsible natives of the wilds OF
west China.
Mr.. Meyer in a report to the depart
ment promises peach that will weigh
at least a pound and is as as large as
a muskmelon. This wonderful peach
grows in the province of Shantuug. 1t
is known to the Chinese as the Felt
Ching or Felt Tau
To Bring Out First Specimens.
No specimens have ever been brought
to the coast of China. Mr.. Meyer did
bring back with him from a previous
tourney several scions Of the Felt
Ching peach and number of seeds.
The scions failed to produce when
grated upon American grown seeding
stocks. They had failed to withstand
transportation.
The department experimenters took
a chance with the seeds and have
grown several trees at the experiment
tai station at Fayetteville, n. G. None
of them has yet fruited, and 1t is the
belief of the experts that nothing ex-
traordinary will be developed from the
seedlings.
Like other fruits, the seeding peach
develops desirable fruitings only In
rare instances. According to Luther
Burbank. hardly more than one desira-
bic seeding out of planting of 100000
seeds is to be expected
The $4,000 mile journey Of Mr. Meyer
began when he went to London for
with notable European ag-
riculturists before taking the final dive
into the orient. 1t is not only the Felt
Ching peach which is sounding the eau
of the east for the American explorer,
Under the direction of the bureau OF
ilant industry Mr.. Meyer is inaugural
inc three years sojOurn in the wilds
of southeastern Russia and western
China for the purpose of studying suit
able crops of all sorts for growth and
development in those sections OF the /
United States where the limit Of frost /
less days is not more than eighty-hye
or ninety per annum.
Trees For Windbreaks.
Not one branch Of the activities OF .
the department of agriculture, but all
of its work, will be observed I
by Mr.. Meyer Fruits, vegetables, ce-
reals and also trees especially suited
for the development Of windbreaks in
the wind swept areas Of the great
plains regions will be observed by him.
At the last session of congress an APP
of $4,000 was made for
the establishment at Mandan. \. D., OF
1 governmental experiment station for
lust this particular class Of vegetation.
Quick growing crops of all sorts will
be observed, and shade trees and orna-
mental plants which can be transport
ii and transplanted to the United
States will be examined
Mr.. Meyer is accompanied by no