The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-01-31

China and no mechanism for extend
Ing the use of improved varieties.
Superior varieties grown on one farm
often are not used or adjoining farms
and are unheard of ten miles away.
THE farmer who develops an improy-
ed variety guards 1t jealously and
gives seeds or cuttings scions only TO
his immediate relatives. In the case
Of fruits, the Chinese farmer Is av-
verse to spraying or othor treatment
for diseases, largely because his an
cestors have never done this, and the
adoption OF modern methods would
be considered i%rreverent. As a result
excellent varieties which are tradi-
tional or mentioned In Chinese htera-
ture have either disappeared COM
pletely, or are to be found only on
Isolated farms. A striking example
Of this is the fact that the section
around Shanghai even forty years ago
was famous for a special kind OF
peach, although today this variety
has completely disappeared.
In the last trip the explorer pene-
trated through the center OF China,
1900 miles on foot to the borders OF
Tibet and returned to the coast by
a different route. On this expedition
he covered territory the agricultural
conditions Of which ire very similar
to those Of the southern Rocky Noun
tain regions and portions Of the Great
Plains.
In this territory, the most import
ant discovery probably was the jujube
tree, which bears a heavy crop Of a
brownish fruit, which is delicious
when fresh and when dried offers q
CONNECTION very similar in taste to the
Persian date. This tree is OF partl-
cular interest to the department be
cause it can withstand cold and also
drought and neglect. The section N
which it is productive in China Is
a semiarid belt where
Winter Temperatures
do not go much below zero Fahren-
heit This indicates that 1t would be
Of Particular value to Texas, Califor-
mia, New Mexico, Arizona, southern
Utah, and perhaps even farther norti.
Already several thousand seedlings
have been grown at the plant intro
duction garden at Chico, Cal, from
the specimens sent to this country,
and some Of these have borne de-
sirable fruit, which confirms the ex-
perimenters in their belief that this
tree contributes a ley fruit industry
to the sections indicated.
The wild peach discovered in China
and now brought to this country for
the first time, is considered Of great
interest although its fruit is not de-
sirable. Investigation in It's native
habitat showed that the roots of this
plant are not as susceptible as our
native peach to alkali in the soil,
while 1t will Withstand cold and does
not require much moisture. Expert
ments are under way, therefore, to
determine the usefulness Of the root
stock of this peach for grating with
different hardy American varieties.
II success is achieved, the specialists
believe that they can develop peach
trees which will make possible the
raising of peaches in the southwest
ern or alkaline sections, and at the
same time offer possibilities of peach
cultivation in many droughty and
cold regions, and possibly even into
portions of Iowa beyond the northern
edge Of u present peach region.
or special interest also are the COL
lections Of aquatic food plants secur-
ed in the recent expeditions. These
include water chestnuts, water nuts,
and a number of aquatic bulbs, IS
we'll as the water bamboo. The
Chinese, the explorer found, have
mastered through centuries OF ex-
periments the process of using the