DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS AND PLANTS. 15 



its fruit is not edible. The citrange resulting from this cross is 

 hardy as far north as North Carolina on the east and Washington 

 on the Pacific coast. Its fruit resembles an orange in appearance, 

 but the juice is like that of a lemon. 



For many years Dutch bulbs (hyacinths and tulips) and nar- 

 cissuses have been included in the congressional distribution. As 

 it is believed that these bulbs can be grown in this country equal to 

 those imported by commercial dealers at a cost of more than $500,000 

 iinruially, a propagating garden was established by the Department 

 in 1008 near Bellingham, Wash., where conditions are especially 

 favorable. This garden was established not only for the purpose 

 of supplying bulbs for distribution but of securing accurate infor- 

 uuitiou regarding their propagation and culture and if possible 

 demonstrating that they can be grown successfully and profitably 

 on a commercial scale. While the results so far secured are very 

 encouraging, it is entirely too soon for the Department to attempt 

 to supi)ly information regarding methods and cost of growing them. 

 The bulbs which are grown at the garden are not for sale or distri- 

 bution but will be retained for further propagation until such time 

 as the natural increase is sufficient to supply the quantity required 

 for the regular distribution. 



Trial sets of different varieties of imported bulbs, Virginia-grown 

 bulbs, and bulbs from the Bellingham garden are tested each spring 

 on the grounds of the Department for comparison. These tests indi- 

 cate that the American-gi-own bulbs not only give more vigorous 

 plants and better blossoms, but are from a week to 10 days earlier 

 than imported bulbs of the same varieties. 



Perhaps one of the most valuable features of the distribution is 

 the sending out of seed of improved varieties of cotton, many of 

 them developed during the past 10 or 12 years by the cotton special- 

 ists of this Bureau. From 1-2,000 to 10,000 packages are sent out 

 annually on congressional requests. Prior to 1909, 6 to 12 varieties 

 were distributed annually, but since that year the distribution has 

 l)een confined to 4 or 5 of the purest strains of improved types. The 

 distribution last spring included the Columbia Long Staple, the 

 Ilartsville, and the Dixie Wilt-Resistant for the cotton-irrowinir 

 States east of the Mississippi and in the boll-weevil territory to the 

 west, the Lone Star, a variety which has proved especially well 

 adapted to Texas and Oklahoma. 



Seed of 24 varieties of tobacco, grown from plants selected by the 

 tobacco specialists of the Bureau and suitable for the various tobacco- 

 growing sections of each State, have been distributed for several 

 yeai's. The distribution of these improved types has undoubtedly 

 been of much benefit to this great industry, 



[Cir. 100] 



