Evening star., 1922-02-26

TOW the Y aluaDle
years ago reports on his observations
during these travels were printed and
became a handbook for improving
food supplies over practically two
thirds of tho world.
His entire life has been devoted to
this work for the United States govern
ment. and a. . result OF his personal
service many plant immigrants have
been given permanent citisenship here
and have become valuable members Of
the great crop census, adding hundreds
Of millions of dollars to the food supply.
He is seeing his ambition fulfilled. and
probably no better description Of this
work can be found than that which he
gave more than . decade ago:
y -
ss7>o change. in q measure. tho dis
tribution OF tho really useful
plants Of the world is what the Of
fice Of foreign seed and plant intro
duction is trying to do. Tho motive
underlying this work might be called
the ambition to make the world more
habitable. If one is inclined to be
pessimistic with regard to the food
supply of the world. he has, only to
talk with any one Of the enthusiasts
of the Department Of Agriculture to
get q picture Of the widening vista
Of agricultural possibilities which
would make him realize that the food
problems Of the race are not hung in
the balance Of our great plains area,
and that the food-producing power
Of the world il still practically un-
known, because we have just begun
to study in q modern way the rela-
tive performance Of tho different
plants.
I'VE may not always grow the
plants we DO now. Some Of them are
expensive food producers. some pro-
duce foods that are diflcult to digest,
and some we may leave behind As we
learn to like others better.
"To help ind the plant which will
produce the best results OF any that
can be grown. on every acre OF land
in the United States. Is In general the
broad policy OF our ONCE It may be
new to many that every day plant
immigrants from different parts Of
the world arrive in Warrington. and
every day, through tho mails. hun
dreds Of these disinfected arrivals 80
out to find q new home in some part
Of the country"
Today there are giant bamboo for
ests in California and the south. The
first bamboo cuttings were shipped in
from China by DR.. Fairchfld twenty
hve years ago.
Take, again, the mango, which 10
already an important crop in Florida
This is one OF the most important
fruits In the world. In India It II 70
valuable as to be held sAcred and to
deserve annual celebrations and csfe"
monials. In India the mango 10 propa-
rated by an expensive method OF In
arohine, and tho only way that Dr.
Fairchild was able to get the early
nlants for trial in Florida was by
importing them In potA As Allowing
how American genius has carried
along the work Of tho Agricultural
explorers, it may be noted that .
Florida nurseryman named Gallon OF
Miami first learned how to bud tho
mango and found 1t almost As easy
to bud as tho peach This proved an
important step and led to much easier
distribution Of the best varieties.
Some fifteen years ago Dr. Fairchild
wrote to Sir Augustine Henry, recog-
nixsd a. tho great student Of Chinese
botany, asking how tho United States
could tap that tremendous reservoir
Of plant life, and got the reply:
"Don't waste time and postage; send
a mani"
FRANK n. MEYER was sent, and he
L was chosen by DR.. Fairchild be-
cause he had heard that 40 a boy
Meyer had walked over the Alps to
SEQ the orange groves Of Italy. Hav-
ing been in China himself as an ex-
plorer, and knowing that there were
no roads in the empire, Dr.. FAirchild
realized that he must get 4 good
walker. The first thing Meyer did on
coming to Washington was to hike
down to Mount Vernon. He walked
through Cuba. He walked . thousand
miles or 20 in Mexico. He tramped
through California, and he trudgsd
with eager feet for nine long years
through the far east.
Meyer was a Hollander by birth,
and his childhood was spent among
the gardens Of AmstefdaE Through
his own talent he rose to be assistant
to the great Hugo de vries. His pas
SION for travel led him to explore the
Mediterranean groves and vineyards,
then America and Mexico. He worked
in the greenhouses Of the Department
Of Agriculture, on private estates. in
the nurseries Of California. in the
Missouri Botanical Garden, always
showing such love and understanding
Of plants a. some men have for horses
and dogR It was his fair for new
things that made him accept tho pro-
posa1 to foot it along the non.exist.
ent roads Of China. This service a.
. successful plant hunter covered
thirteen years, nine OF which were
spent In the field.
Meyer explored the plant life Of
China and Siberia and Turkestan and
in the Caucasus. His flrst expedition,
1905-190S. was North China, Manohuria
and northern Korea; his second, 1909
1911. through the Caucasus, Russian
Turkestan. Chinese Turkestan and
Siberia: his third. 1913-1s15, through
northwestern China into the Kansu
province to the borders Of Tibet, and
his last began In 1916 into the region