Evening star., 1937-09-19
Differing Climates Vary Demands of Areas
of Nation, While Attention Is Given to
Need of Diversi6cation in South.

stocks Each garden Is veritable
living herbarium where plants are
studied for indications of behavior and
adaptability under new environmental
conditions.
When sufficient number of plants
has been grown from seeds, cuttings,
budding or grating. they are sent to
the various experiment stations and
botanic gardens throughout the coun-
try. Research men and nurserymen
test them out, and in some cases we'll
qualified private individuals are
charged with cultivating new species,
with reports requested upon its prog
ress. This is true primarily in the
horticultural groups. Cereal, forage
and sugarcane introductions are
turned over to investigators of the
Department Of Agriculture for growing
under quarantine. testing out in plots
and distributing to State stations.
During the past year the Division
Of Plant Exploration and Introduction
reported the introduction into the
United States of 5000 new and valu-
able economic and ornamental plants
showing promise Of usefulness. These
were procured from foreign countries
either by exchange, exploration or
purchase, and many were related to
special projects-such as the new
vegetable breeding project. There
were approximately 1000 introduce
tions Of grasses and forage plants for
testing for the prevention Of soil
erosion, 655 of tobacco for use in
breeding and 703 for the vegetable
breeding program Of the Southeastern
Regional Laboratory, which was es-
tablished under the Bankhead j ones
act. There were 103 1898 items released
and distributed to research workers
and their collaborators for testing.
How important are these to the
United States? Well, we can
only judge by the past and strike our
own averages, for many of those
forage grasses which were gathered
four or five years ago, for example,
by Piemiesel and Kephart in the heart
OF Africa are only now reaching a
stage where conclusion may soon be
drawn as to their practical value to
this Nation, and there are other
introductions that have reached a
similar stage. What we do know is
that such hardy adventurers as these
grass hunters have, over a period of
80 years. changed the whole COM
plexion Of our agricultural history.
Because of their explorations, several
million acres OF durum wheats are now
planted annually in this country, in
cluding Kubanka, Kharkof and Kan
red varieties-the last selection made
by the Kansas experiment station;
Baart and White Federation varieties
OF durum wheat, from Australia, are
now grown over large areas in the
Western States. Because of them,
Trebi barley from Asiatic Turkey and
Club Mariout barley from Egypt now
cover 100000 acres in Western States
where the rainfall is low. Two vari-
cites of rice have proved important
contributions Of these explorations
Fortuna, a selection introduced from
Formosa, and Colusa, a selection of
Chinese variety, introduced from Italy.
Because OF these botanic explorers,
important additions to our oat pro-
duction have been made by the Swed-
ish Select and Sixty Day varieties
from Russia, and these are grown to
an extent of 100000 and 5000, 900
acres. respectively. An introduction Of
Rosen rye from Russia In 1909 has