Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-02-06
$4,000 MILES
FOR GIANT PEACH
Uncle Sem S3;ds Agricultural
Exp 2-:r on Old Trip.
WEIGHS At LEAST A POUND.
Frank N. Meyer on His Way to Shar-
tune to Obtain the Juicy Chinese
Wonder, Which Is to Be Added to the
PrcGuct OF Tnose United States-To
Spend Three Years In the Wiids.

Twenty-Five thousand miles looking
for Il leach-that is the ~Stu1endous
Frank y. 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 Ius.
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 a peach that will weigh
at least a pound and is as as large as
a muskmelon. This wonderful peach
grows in the province of S%hantung. 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
| Ching peach and a 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. c. None
Of them has yet fruited, and it is the
belief of the experts that nothing ex-
taordinary 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 n desira-
BILE seeding out of a planting of 100000
seeds is to be expected.
The $4,000 mile journey Of MI. Meyer
began when he went to London for a
conference With notable European ag.
r%iculturists before taking the final dive
into the orient. 1t is not only the Felt
Ching peach which is sounding the cal
of the east for the American explorer
Under the direction of the bureau OF
plant industry Mr.. Meyer is inaugural
ing a three years %sojourn in the Willis
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-fve
or ninety per annum.
Trees For Windbreaks.
Not one branch of tie activities Of
the department of agriculture, but al
branches of it's work, will be observed
by Mr. Meyer. Fruits. vegetables, ce
reals and also trees especially suited
for the development Of windbreaks il
the wind swept areas Of the great
plains regions will be observed by him
At the last session of congress an ap
preparation of $4,000 was made fol
the establishment at Mandan, N. D., OF
Il governmental experiment station fol
Just 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
ed and transplanted to the United
States will be examined.
Mr.. Meyer is accompanied by ne
American assistant. He will upon his
arrival in southeastern Russia organ
ize his own caravan. He carries will
him materials for the packing and pres
ervation Of the scions Of trees and fol
the carrying home Of roots and seeds
Of the plant organisms.
He Hadn't Heard of Socrates.
A big policeman who walks a heal
near the Greek settlement in the nortt
side always gets angry when he hears
this told at his expense. but there are
those who will vouch for its truth:
About a month ago a young man
very much excited. rushed up to this
policeman and exclaimed:
"Say. Jim. did you hear about q
Greek by the name of Socrates taking
poison?"
II did not" Jim replied innocently
Then he added. thoughtfully strohin2
his chin: Sure. that's the first time
ever heard of a Greek going up against
anything stronger than what he sells
in his own coffee houses guess ia
better look this up and bulletin all the
details to the department. It's an nn
usual ase."-Kansas City Journal.