REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. XXXIII 



Knapp, of Louisiana, who procured the original importation in 1898, 

 reports as follows: 



This year has thoroughly proved the superiority of the Kiushu rice in every way. 

 Under favorable conditions, the yield is on an average fully 30 per cent more than 

 that of Honduras or South Carolina (the ordinary varieties). Under unfavorable 

 conditions Kiushu rice yields from 100 to 400 per cent more than any other rice. It 

 yielded this year 4 or 5 barrels per acre without any water except rain. The Hon- 

 duras rice grown under the same conditions produced nothing. The straw is so tough 

 that the seeds will not whip off in a storm. It mills 30 to 50 per cent more head rice 

 (unbroken grains) than the Honduras. The Department never spent money that 

 helped the country more than that spent in the importation of this Japanese rice. It 

 has brought about the opening up and development of an extensive region in south- 

 western Louisiana and southeastern Texas, where the land was not previously of any 

 value except for cattle grazing. It has resulted in the investment of probably 

 $20,000,000. It has increased the production of rice in Louisiana more than $1,000,000 

 per annum. Rice now has a future in the United States second only to wheat. 



VALUE OF SEED AND PLANT INTRODUCTION. 



That the value of seed and plant introduction to the agriculture of 

 the United States is very great, all who are familiar with its results 

 must agree. It would be impossible for anyone to estimate in dollars 

 the benefits already derived, nmch less the vastly greater benefits 

 which will come with the future. It is safe to say that in many 

 instances the introduction of a single new variety will be worth more 

 to the country than the whole cost of the work done by this Section. 

 It woidd, indeed, be within boimds to estimate the value of some single 

 introductions as exceeding the annual cost of the Department. The 

 value of the Smyrna fig industry to California, it is estimated, will not 

 be less than 11,000,000 annually. The value of the introduction of 

 Kiushu rice will certainly not be less, and probably far more, than 

 that of the Smyrna fig industry. 



But the most valuable of all is the introduction of superior varieties 

 of wheat from Russia, Hungary, Australia, and elsewhere. In many 

 cases these new wheats are reported to exceed in yield the varieties 

 they are displacing by 5 bushels or more per acre. The area in wheat 

 in the United States in 1899 was over 44,000,000 acres; now, if by the 

 introduction of better varieties, the av^erage yield i-s increased only 1 

 bushel per acre, we will have an increase of 44,000,000 bushels, worth 

 at the farm price for 1899 (nearly 60 cents per bushel) about $26,000,000. 

 These figures will at least give an idea of the possibilities involved in 

 this work. 



DIVISION OF VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY. 



As now organized, the Division of Vegetable Physiology and Pathol- 

 ogy consists of five branches, or laboratories, namely, plant pathology, 

 plant physiology, Pacific coast investigations, plant breeding, and plant 



AGR 1900 III 



