Milford chronicle., 1921-01-07
NEW PLANTS ENRICH NATIONS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Pos
SIBILITIES IN SEARCH
FOR CROPS

Some of the results in the search
for and introduction, acclimatizatiOn,
and adaptation of new crop plants in
to the United States by the Depart
ment of Agriculture are spectacular,
indeed, almost romantic, says the Sec
retary of Agricultural in his annual
report to the President, now made
public. To illustrate what the intro
ductiOn of some of these plants has
meant to the agricultural wealth Of
the Nation the Secretary says:
"Durum wheat, introduced in 1899
from Russia, now produces crop
worth $5O,OOO,0OO annually. Egyptian
cotton, brought by the scientists of
the department in 9O1, has become the
basis of the long-staple cotton indus
try in the Southwest, valued at &c.
100000 in 1917, $11,OOO,9OO in 1918
and $2O,OOO,OOO in 1919"
Alfalfa, a native of central Asia,
brought into the Western States in
about 1854, has become in a genera
ton almost the basic crop of the West,
according to the report. The sorghums
are the basis of the great agricultural
development of the semiarid South
west. Japanese rices, secured in 1899,
were the foundations of the great rice
industry of Louisiana and Texas. The
Washington Navel orange, introduce
ed from Brazil in 1872 makes up the
bulk of the California orange indus
try, producing crop valued at ap-
proximately S16,OO0,OOO a year. Con-
tinuing, the Secretary said:
"The culture of dates in California
and Arizona is already thriving bus
mess, which is expanding rapidly, and
will in the near future have impress
i've value. Sudan grass, introduced in
1909 from Egypt, is now worth over
S1O,O00,000 annually. Feterita, secur-
ed in 1906 from Egypt, produced in
1918 a crop valued at $16,000,0O0. Ov-
er 1000 varieties of soy beans have
been introduced from China and other
parts of the Orient. From these the
experts of the department have, after
careful tests, selected eight of the best
varieties, which are now largely Gull
tivated and are an important element
in the very rapid increase in soy-bean
production. Peruvian alfalfa, introduc-
ed in 899, is by far the most produc-
tive and valuable variety for the
Southwest.
The Search for Grasses
Scientists are convinced that there
are still great possibilities in the
search for new crops, especially for
plants that are cultivated little, if at
all, in their native countries. Perhaps
this is most strikingly exhibited in
grasses, many of which have been in
troduced accidentally. Thus blue
grass, white clover, redtop, timothy,
and many others which come origi-
nally from Europe make up nearly all
the grass lands of the North, and Ber-
muda grass from India, carpet grass
from the West Indies, Dallis grass
from Argentina, and lespedeza from
Asia have performed a similar role in
the South. CalifOrnia's pastures con-
sist mainly of species from the Medi-
terranean region, such as alfilaria,
bur clover, wild oats, wild barley, and
numerous others. There are undoubt-
edly in central Asia many species
which, if properly selected and intro
duced, will add greatly to the carry
ing capacity of the western ranges,
aside from what can be accomplished
by rational range management. From
this region came alfalfa and sweet clo-
yer, both important in the West.
There is every reason to believe also
that good grasses and legumes can be
found for the cutover lands of the
South, and thus prepare the way for
the further development of the live
stock industry in that section. It is
to bring in new grasses or
other valuable crop plants from re-
mote and almost inaccessible parts of
the world without sending properly
trained exporers, and larger funds for
this work are needed"