Evening star., 1922-02-26

gone OUT 1IO" 01S ouASo AoSo Ao0 ~
encounter.
"It In one thing to start out with a
letter of credit and carte blanche to
travel the ordinary routes OF the
world, but it Is quite another to go
into the wilds Of . strange land and
poke around through the back yards
Of people who cannot understand what
you are doing and are naturally sus-
picious of you" he says. Then he
suggests that one of the big handicaps
il right here in Washington, for he
adds-'hnd then be required by the
great Treasury Department OF the
great government you are travelling
for to get . receipt in writing Tor
every penny expended. What the
Treasury Department gathered from
the hundreds OF scraps Of yellow
paper. like Chinese laundry checks.
that Meyer sent in, do not know.
but I can see Meyer now, after years
Of exploration, begging with tears In
his eyes to be released from the
ridiculous red tape that added SO
snoromusly to the burdens Of his
travels"
THE letters Of Meyer, written ~ he
l. sat in the century-drifted sands
Of the far east, and in the atmosphere
Of Its mysticism, intrigues and sus-
picions, are bits Of the realest ro-
nance. graphically telling the trials
Of the traveller and breathing the
spirit OF loneliness He wrote not
only as scientist, but as real trav-
eler, picturing strange civilizations.
There were headlines in every sem
tenoe. such as Left Alone in Turk
estan"; he describes the "camefs
thorn in the desert: he gathered
seeds from the pistachia tree that
GROWS over the eepulcher OF Confu-
cius; he tells Of finding the famous
Peking pear; he scaled q per1lous
mountain near Fang-shan to gather
speciments from an old imperial
tomb; he bought cucumbers at 80 cents
each in China; he fell in love with a
wh1te-barked pine three centuries old,
near Picking; raved over the primeval
forests Of Korea: complained Of YER
liable bedlam in a Chinese inn, and
found himself 'cut on from commu-
nication with the world"
But Meyer gave to this land of his
adoption q host Of lasting, living,
growing. multiplying. benehcent gifts.
altogether too numerous to mention.
To New England he gave the hardest
Of yellow bush roses; over the bleak
plains Of the Dakotas are growing
i1is Chinese elms. and stretching over
the country from Florida to the Ca
madam border: Nevada has adopted
his ash from Kashgar; in California
! the earliest cherries are his Tangsi,
and the peach orchardists of that
state bless him daily for the drought
and alkali resistant root systems he
imported from China, which have pro-
duced the best canning peaches on
the market. Adjoining the banks OF
Rock Creek Park are globular-headed
willows he brought from overseas;
Oregon and other pear-producing
states now feel immune from fire.
blight because Of his hardy Ussuriau
pear: orchards Of plum sized jujubes
In California, escaping the spring
frosts, promise fortunes; from China
he brought In a substitute for the
fast disappearing American chestnut;
an improved strain Of spinach has
been grown from seed Meyer gathered
in Manchuria.
Meyers life went out suddenly. bu,
in addition to the living memorials in
all parts Of this country benefitine
future generations his life given to
explorations will be an inspiration to
others, and q medal Of honor which
his associates had struck or with q
bequest he made to them. viii be
awarded each year. The frst to 70
Fceive It was Barbour Lathrop, whose
Distinguished personal services and
financial generosity led to the inaug.
uration Of the government work ol
plant Introduction and the establish.
ment Of the ONCE bearing that name
It was with Mr.. LAthrop that DR.
rairohild drst set out on his agri.
cultural explorations, the results OF
which are spread all over the United
States.
+ 4 4 +
LEW Of the thousands in this coun.
L. try who are acquiring q fond.
ness for the avocado. or alligator pear
and 4he hnndreds Of Thousands nib