Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-02-21
|MIER MAKES FINDS
Curious Fruits and Plants A7e
Described In Inventory.

Wheat. siberIsa Cherry. Arctic Cur
rant Weed That viii Nc. Rot. and
Forage Capable 81 selns ~.
bridlzsd Found In Arctic
washington. More strange and Gu
rlous fruits and plants than usual are
noted in the inventory Of foreign
seed and plant introduction Just 10
sued by David Fairchild. the chief Of
the bureau Of plant industry OF the
department Of agriculture. The pres
emit inventory contains 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 10 q new variety OF
winter durum wheat obtained from the
Russian agricultural experiment sta.
ton in the government OF Samara. II
IL called Teskaia and has been bred
for cold resistance. It lived out
through the snowless winters. where
all other varieties of wheat were eth
er killed outright or severely injured.
It Is thought this will 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 cold and semi-arid region.
and therefore are likely to be OF use
IN extending the dry farming belt o.
the United States One of them il a
forage plant OF the astragaius family.
branchy. upright plant that is really
eaten by cattle and that eeems able to
stand any amount OF cold drought.
He also has found forage plant
that in these days of plant breeding
It is thought. can be hybridized as q
forage plant. 1t is relative Of the IA
nous sulla, but this has never been
grown in the southern states owing to
its susceptibility to frost The new
plant that may be crossed with 1t
grows In Siberia as far east as Lake
Bikal. and promises 70 furnish new
and good forage where such plants
are greatly needed.
Now that Alaska is getting so thick
~ 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
ising. 1t Is bush cherry growing no
more than four fet high. but the fruit
while small. makes an excellent pre-
serve. 1t lives outdoors at a tempera-
ture Of forty below zero. The natives
nse 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 a tenn
perature Of 5s This. 1t also is
thought. will do we'll in Alaska.
One OF the curious finds that has
come from South America is fiber
plant that grows on the dry plateau
bark OF Mahia. It Is said to be more
resistant to sea water than the best
Manila hemp. stands drought and
grows a large crop to the acre.
Or, Gustaye Eisen OF the California
Academy Of Sciences has contributed
a new plum from Naples called the
Papagone. It 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 new variety
OF tall forest tree. The wood is pur.
pie and very oily, with a slight sweet
scent. The most remarkabl feature
OF 1t Is that 1t is proof. against the at.
tack Of ants and is absolutely ever.
lasting Posts made from 1t and stuck
in the ground never rot Trunks and
furniture made from 1t are insect
proof. & E,a ID
There are scores Of other remark.
able botanical finds. All OF them are
being tried out In the experimental
gardens and such OF them az seem
adapted to any particular locality will
be given 2 trial under actual field con
ditions. .