Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-04-07
Third Plant Introduction Expedi-
ton Yields Many Promising
Specimens.
BRING IN 5000 VARIETIES
Jujube, AIkaIi-Resistant Wild Peach
and Marsh Vegetables Are Of Par
ticuIar Interest-FIora OF Sec
tions of China and the
United States Related.

w dbulu6IOu, hO thhu OAPO
dition into China to discover new
plants suitable for introduction into
the United Sites has been completed
by F. N. Meyer, plant explorer OF
the United States department Of az
riculture, who has just returned to
Washington after a three-year trip
in the far East. As q result of this
expedition through the center OF
China and two previous explorations
of similar duration covering extremely
cold Manchurian regions and the arid
regions of Chinese Turkestan, there
have been sent to America for plant
ing and testing for commercial adapt
ability, seeds, roots, or cuttings Of
some 5000 food and forage plants,
flowers, ornamental shrubs and vines,
shade and timber trees. The previous
expeditions brought to America speci.
mems of many cold-resistant and dry
land grains, sorghums, soy, beans. al
falfas, and forage plants, and also GER
tain semitropical plants. such as the
bamboo, which are now under expert
mentation to determine their useful.
ness for the extreme South.
OF the many specimens forwarded
to this country during the last expedi.
ton. the specialists regard as most
significant the 1ujube. a fruit new to
this country, which may be suitable
for use in the Southwest; a wild peach
resistant to alkali, cold, and drought.
the root system of which offers great
possibilities as a grating host; Ger.
tain Chinese persimmons larger than
any hitherto known in this country;
a number of aquatic food roots and
vegetables which offer promising pos
sibilities for the utilization of swamp
land; some thirty varieties of vege-
table and timber bamboos; and Q num-
Der of Chinese vegetables, bush and
climber roses. shrubs and trees.
Flora Closely Related.
OF scientific rather than commercial
interest IL the discovery on this expe-
dition, near Hangchau. of q hickory
tree, the first found In China. The ex.
istence Of this tree, together with the
facts that the sassafras and tulip
trees are common in both countries
and the Chinese tea box tree is close
ly related to the sweet gum of the
South, confirms the fact that the fora
of the southeastern United States and
that of sections of China are closely
roIotod Annthor dioooyory ~ hoxor
zeal interest was the finding in a re-
mote and hitherto unvisited valley in
Tibet of a hazel tree 100 feet high
a surprising departure from the hazel
bush. Elsewhere English walnuts
were discovered in a wild state. and
the discovery Of the wild peach is
regarded as significant because 1t
seems to establish that the peach may
have been q native of China rather
than Of Persia. to which its origin has
been ascribed. The discoveries of ma
tive and hardy oranges and other cit.
rus fruits, q number of which have
been brought to this country for breed.
ing work, give added evidence that
China was the home of the orange,
which was introduced into other coun.
tries probably by early Portuguese
travellers. Similarly many plants com.
monty ascribed to other countries,
such as the wistaria. chrysanthemum.
lilac. azalea, and certain peonies and
rambler roses, have been developed by
the Chinese. although, because they
reach Caucasian use through other
nearby nations. their Chinese origin
often has been overlooked.
Hunt for Pointers.
The first or experimental explora.
ton for new plants In China in 1905
was undertaken by the department be-
cause the wide range of climate, rain
fall. elevation and soil conditions in
that immense country gave promise
that the Chinese, who had been farm
ing successfully In some sections for
about 1000 years. might have found
solutions for special difficulties which
confronted American farmers in re-
gions Of excessive cold, or drought. or
alkaline or swampy soils.
The investigators quickly found that
China also offered particularly fer.
tile field for plant introduction work
because for many centuries the Chi.
nese farmers. in q crude way. had been
selecting seeds and developing i'm
proved varieties now ready for com.
mercial use in the United States. In
many cases all that il needed is to
bring the seed or plant to this country
and use It, although in other cases,