Evening star., 1925-05-10
u. S. SEARCHING WORLD
FOR PLANTS IT CAN USE
Agricultural Explorers Go to Faraway
Countries-Exchanges Prove of
Great Value to All.

to it that those countries have re-
ceived seeds of all the plants which
he thought would thrive and be
especially useful to them. In speak
ing on this subject he said that many
Of the new plants with which we have
been working in the United States
these past few years would prove dis
tinct acquisitions in Latin America" ,"
There are huge areas lying at high
elevations in the northern Andes" he
said, where the climate is cold and
moist. At present they support little
vegetation that is suitable for stock
grazing, nor can they be planted to
such crops as cereals or potatoes. A
forage grass which will thrive under
those conditions would be an acquisi-
ton of enormous value to Colombia,
Ecuador, Peru and other countries.
There are immense areas OF land in
various parts Of Latin America which
lie idle and are relatively useless be.
cause they will not grow any of the
crops at present available. Surely the
question Of introducing new forage
plants for such regions is deserving
Of attention"
What U. s. Can Offer Latin America.
After asserting that it was doubtful
If the United States or the rest Of the
world could offer much to Latin Amer
lea in the way Of new varieties Of that
great staple crop, maize, Mr.. POpenoe
went on to say that he did not think
the same could be said of other ce-
reals. Very recently, he added, the de-
partment had sent seed of the Kanred
wheat, a variety developed in the
State Of Kansas and notable for its
resistance to rust, to central Chile,
where It has given such excellent re-
suits that large orders are now being
received from that country by North
American seedsmen.
''The activity Of plant breeders,
both in North America and Europe,
looking toward the development of
superior strains Of wheat, barley, oats
and other cereals, will likely profit
Latin America as much as the coun-
tries In which the work is dene," he
stated. The breeding Of disease-re-
sistant varieties, and those Of superior
yield is of even greater importance,
perhaps, in some Of the Latin Amer
ican countries than It Is in Europe.
We may look forward to the day when
plant BREEDERS in Argentina, Chile,
MeAco. Colombia, Brazil, Peru and
other countries will be actively en-
gagged In developing new strains Of all
those crops to meet peculiarly local
conditionS.
THE work Of the plant breeder sup
plements and augments that of the
plant tntroducer, and neither is fully
effective without the services Of the
other. Breeders must have wild rela-
tives Of the plants with which they
are working, az well as strains from
all possible sources, to use in making
their hybrids and securing the char.
acteristics desired: while many of the
crops brought in by the plant intro
ducer are Of little value until they
have passed through the hands of the
breeder and have undergone improve
ments along various, lines
It Ii in the field Of fruits, as much
az in any other, perhaps, that Latin
America may expect to reap 4 rich
harvest from other countries, in the
opinion of Mr.. Popenoe. There vet
remain many species which have not
been introduced Into tropical America.
he stated, and In addition It viii be
possible to introduce superior varie-
ties of many species, already cultivat.
ed in that part of the world. The
United States 10 not forgetful of the
debt 1t owes to Latin America for
many Of tho food products 1t has re-
coIyed from those countries.
tccpysight. 1921