Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-04-10
MYER MAKES FINDS
Curious Fruits and Plants Are
Described in inventory.
Wheat, siberian Cherry, Arctic Cur
rant wood That VIII Not Rot, and
Forage Capable Of Being NY
brIdlzed Found IN Arctic.

Washington. More strange and Gu
rious fruits and plants than usual are
noted In the Inventory Of foreign
seed and plant Introduction just is
sued by David Fairchild. the chief of
the bureau of plant Industry OF the
department of agriculture. The pres
ent inventory contains a number OF
the agricultural finds OF Frank N.
Myer the agricultural explorer, who
recently returned from two years In
Manchuria and Siberia
One OF his finds Is new variety of
winter durum wheat obtained from the
Russian agricultural experiment sta
tion in the government of Samara. 1t
is called Teskaia and has been bred
for cold resistance. II lived out
through the snowless winters. where
all other varieties of wheat we're eth
er killed outright or severely injured.
It is thought this win be especially
valuable for cold, dry regions of this
country, where no wheat has been
grown heretofore.
Many of Mr.. Myers finds, coming
from the interior of Siberia, are adapt
ed to a cold and semi-arid region.
and therefore are likely to be of use
in extending the dry farming belt of
the United States. One of them is a
forage plant Of the astragalus family,
a branchy, upright plant that is really
eaten by cattle and that seems able to
90 - rC1d Iranuhf
He also has found forage plant
that in these days of plant breeding,
1t is thought, can be hybridized as a
forage plant. It is relative of the IA
nous sulla, but this has never been
grown in the southern states owing to
it's susceptibility to frost. The new
plant that may be crossed with it
grows in Siberia as far east as Lake
Bikal. and promises to furnish a new
and good forage where such plants
are greatly needed
Now that Alaska is getting so thick
ly settled. there is a demand for fruits
that will live there and Mr. Fairchild
speaks of the Siberia cherry that has
been found by Mr. Myer as very prom
Using. 1t is a bush cherry growing no
more than four fet high, but the fruit.
while small, makes an excellent pre-
serve. 1t lives outdoors at tempera-
ture of forty below zero. The natives
use the preserve instead of sugar in
hot tea, and Mr.. Myer says the com
bination is by no means as bad as it
sounds. But the arctic cherry is gone
one better by an arctic black currant
that he found growing out at tenn
perature of SIS. This, 1t also is
thought, will do we'll in Alaska
One of the curious finds that has
come from South America is a fiber
plant that grows on the dry plateau
bark of Mahia. 1t is said to be more
resistant to sea water than the best
Manila hemp stands drought and
grows a large crop to the acre.
DR.. Gustave Eisen of the California
Academy of Sciences has contributed
a new plum from Naples called the
Papagone. 1t grows three inches long
has small stone and is reputed to be
the finest favored plum in the world
Another curious thing that comes
from South America is a new variety
of tall forest tree. The wood is pur-
pie and very oily, with slight sweet
scent. The most remarkable feature
of 1t is that it is proof against the at
tack of ants and is absolutely ever
lasting. Posts made from it and stuck
in the ground never rot. Trunks and
furniture made from it are insect
proof.
There are scores of other remark
able botanical finds. All of them are
being tried out in the experimental
gardens and such of them as seem
adapted to any particular locality will
be given trial under actual field con.
ditions, 49,