REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 73 



worth of cotton imported from Egypt in 1909 was put by American 

 spinners. In view of the prevaihng high prices of long-staple cotton 

 and the insufficiency of the present supply, it is hoped that the 

 growing of Egyptian types of cotton will soon be taken up on a 

 commercial scale in the Southwest. 



THE RESEEDING OF DENXJDED MOUNTAIN GRAZING LANDS. 



It is clear from the season's study that acidity of the soil is a factor 

 of the greatest importance, hitherto unconsidered, in the seeding of 

 these mountain grazing lands. Hereafter experimental so^vings \viU 

 be made with reference to conditions of acidity as well as those of 

 temperature and moisture. 



As there are certain wild plants which grow only on acid lands 

 and others which grow only on neutral or alkaline lands, the presence 

 or absence of these indicative plants is an excellent practical guide 

 for field work. The most trustworthy indicators of acidity are 

 various plants of the blueberry and heather families, especially the 

 species of the genus Vaccinium known in New England as blueber- 

 ries but in the region of most of the National Forests called huckle- 

 berries. 



TRUCK-CROP INVESTIGATIONS. 



The efforts which have been made to develop and maintain strains 

 and varieties of the standard commercial vegetables peculiarly 

 adapted for specific purposes have proved decidedl}" successful. 

 The crops now well in hand are lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, 

 and tomatoes. Others will be taken up as rapidly as possible. 



The Arlington Farm, wliich is the Department's field laboratory 

 in plant industry, has developed into the most intensive enterprise 

 of this character in America. The investigations under way at the 

 farm are larger and more varied than those upon any similar farm 

 in the United States. During the j^ear the crop-improvement work 

 alone involved the testing of more than 2,000 samples of forage 

 crops, 7,000 samples of cereals, 1,500 samples of vegetables, 25,000 

 samples of potatoes, and 250 drug plants. The fruit plantations 

 consist of over 500 sorts of apples and more than 300 varieties of 

 peaches, and the shrubbery and ornamental trees now include 2-40 

 distinct varieties and species. 



FRUIT INVESTIGATIONS. 



From the citrange-orange crosses it is hoped to obtain fruits nearly 

 if not quite equal in quahty to the varieties of oranges now groAMi 

 and at the same time possessing greater hardiness, enabling them to 

 resist the occasional severe freezes which cause so much damage in 

 the orange districts. 



