El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-06-28
JUJUBE MAY Be
PLANTED HERE
Chinese Fruit Tree Found
Suitable for Growth in
the Southwest.
nv FDEDERIC J. HAshTN.


partment Of agriculture, was found in
/ the Tangtse rived in China. His
death remains a mystery which viii
probably never be solved.
n Mr. Meyer was one OF the most
loss to the department Of agriculture.
Z The department has a long list Of
/ explorers on its payroll-men who
travel into all parts Of the world.
] penetrating the deepest wildernesses.
( encounterinE all sorts OF hardships
/ and often surrounded by grave dan
I gers.
Z Mr. Eyer was one Of the most
I skilled and courageous of these men
I He never spoke Of his own personal
I hardships; his concern was always for
Z his precious specimens.
Collects Chinese Flora.
He made his first trip TO China in
] 1908. remaining two years and send
ing back many valuable specimens Of
I the Chinese flora Later he made
Z travelling in China, Korea. Siberia,
Mongolia and Turkestan
In the mountain districts Mr. Meyer
[ Travelled with the aid OF pack animals;
{ IN the valleys his caravan consisted
I Of two springless carts. with avn
&
carried unusual baggage bale OF
spagnum moss, rolls Of oiled paper,
copper labels, notebooks. herbarium
driers in waterproof sacks and sup
plies Of twine and cloth from which
seed bags could be constructed TO
receive plant material For the ex-
plorer had 20 pack his product so that
IL would still be alive when it
reached this country
Difficulties in Packing
Seeds. like grain and beans. are not
very difficult TO ship, for when dry
they may be packed I'm cloth bags.
Other seeds, like scorns and chest
nuts however. must be packed in
moistened, powdered. washedout char
coal, or in finely chopped, damp moss,
wrapped in oiled paper and packed fl
wooden boxes. They must be sent i'm
mediately after collecting, being ex-
tremely perishable-
The shipping Of scions and cut
tings presents even greater difficulty,
for they must be secured during the
resting season, which is often during
the winter. and must be packed in
moss few hours after being cut
over $500 plant introductions were
made by Mr.. Meyer, including seeds,
pulDss cuttings, sciOus, roots and live
plants. In addition. many hundreds
OF photographs were secured OF
Chinese agricultural practices that
have proved valuable I'm the bureaus
agricultural experiments. introduce
tlons Of Chinese plants made into this
country are usually successful. since
the climates Of the two countries are
very much alike.
In western China. especially. the
flora greatly resembles that Of the
eastern United States. The sassafras.
The hickory and the tulip trees, long
regarded as exclusively American
species, have been discovered growing
In China fact which has led many
botanists 10 believe that at some
prehistoric date the two continents
were one.
3Iany Plant Jujube Here.
One OF the most interesting plant
industries studied and introduced by
Mr. Meyer is that Of the iujube tree,
which produces dark brown. crisp
fruit with Characteristic piQuant
flavor. which may be kept several
weeks in the fresh state before spoil
ing.
When treated with sugar and honey,
il makes a delicious sweetmeat re-
semblinE the Persian date-in fact IL
rivals the date in quality. In China
they are very popular; are served in
the best hotels patronized by Euro
peans and are given as New Year
presents by the Chinese mandarins.
IL is believed that the jujube viii
prove Of great value in our American
south and southwest, especially in
the seni-arid regions such as Texas,
New Mexico, Arizona and southern
Utah
Chinese persimmons, bamboOs cher
rles. cabbages, ginger plants and the
kauba-a chinese vegetable which
may be grown in sWamps-are some
Of the other species that have been
introduced with success into this
country.
Exchange Is Profitable.
The exchange Of plants between
one country and another is an i'm
portant feature in the progress Of the I
race" says DR.. David Fairchild. in
charge Of the office Of foreign seed
and plant introduction, himself an
agricultural explorer OF note The
worlds population has increased I
enormously in recent years. but few
people relize how much that increase !
is due 20 an augmented food supply, 4
which has come about by the eX-
change Of botanical species among T.
nations"
suppose that Peru. the home OF that |
greatly admired American STABLE
the potato-had kept the secret Of I
potato culture to herself? And sup 4
pose the growing Of corn had never D
been extended beyond the confines I
Of Central America, where il origin
ated2 The world certainly would .
have TO eat less meat. there being
no corn for its hogs and cattle
Moreover. If this practice Of ex-
change had not taken place, the
sweet potato, the peanut and the
lima bean would still be growing only
on the west coast Of The great South
american continent. We Americans,
and, even more regrettable. the
English, would have no Ceylon tea;
we would have to 20 to Brazil for a !
sAce OF pineapple or naval seed
less orange. and we would have to buy
an Of our cotton from the West
Indies.
1000 Plant IntrOduetlons.
Almost every nation has given some
valuable food 10 the world The
United States has been the recipient
Of many gifts The early colonists
brought many species from the east
ern hemisphere with them. and since
then the nations themselves have
been extremely generous.
Under the office OF foreign seed and
plant Introduction Of the department .
lI agriculture, 1900 plant intrcduc- /
lions have been made since 1898. Many Z
II them have proved Of tremendous
value
Durham wheat alone-one OF Rus ]
ia gifts-is now worth over 100000 ]
100 year to us. Our acreage is q
llfalfa- brought TO this country from =
south America by the mission padres
. hundred years ago, now extends for
niles and miles
Egypt gave us its lOng-staple cot
on Africa its drough sorg- /
iums; Japan its short-kerneled. early
Maturing rices, the soy bean and
'amboOs while even the Amir Of )
.fghanistan. the most mysterious :