86 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



It will doubtless come into extensive use both as a soil-improving 

 crop and for forage. Hybrids between it and the Florida velvet 

 bean and the Lyon bean are of special promise. 



During tlie exceptional drought of the past season in north-central 

 Texas the interesting fact developed that ])ink kafir is decidedly 

 more drought resistant than mUo or Blackhull kafir. Under condi- 

 tions that caused the latter to "fire" badly, the pink kafir remained 

 perfectly green. 



The need of better forage crops is perhaps felt mostly in the semi- 

 arid regions. Extended search is still being made throughout Asia 

 in the hope of finding more valuable grasses and legumes adapted to 

 these regions. Some of the legumes from the drier portions of India, 

 like kulthi {Dolichos hijiorus) and the bonavist {Dolichos lablab) , have 

 demonstrated their ability to withstand drought imder which cow- 

 peas sufl'er severely, and it is not unlikely that these two plants may 

 come to be largely grown. This will depend mainly on their ability 

 to produce satisfactory crops of seed. Some of the new millets from 

 the interior of Asia, especially the Kursk millet obtained in 1899 and 

 the Turkestan millet secured in 1906, are likely to replace the other 

 varieties. The Kursk millet can be grown as far north as the Cana- 

 dian line, but the Turkestan is a later variety which matures only in 

 the central and southern portions of the Great Plains region. 



CONGRESSIONAL SEED DISTRIBUTION. 



The distribution of seeds and plants upon Congressional order has 

 continued along much the same lines as in the preceding year. The 

 demand for vegetable and flower seeds proved greater than ever 

 before. Certain changes in the method of mailing packeted seeds 

 have obviated the necessity for rehandling by the postal authorities 

 in the Washington City post-office, thereby reducing the labor and 

 facilitating the mailing of the seeds. The packeting, assembling, 

 and mailing have been satisfactorily done under contract. 



In connection with the seed distribution, an effort to propagate 

 Dutch bulbs successfully has been continued with encouraging results. 

 Climatic conditions in the Puget Sound region, where the work is 

 being done, appear to be favorable, and it is hoped that a sufficient 

 quantity can eventually be produced to furnish the supply used for 

 Congressional distribution. 



FOREST SERVICE. 



In my report of last year I estimated the total stand of merchant- 

 able timber on the National Forests, exclusive of those in Alaska, at 

 about 400 bilUon board feet. Revised and more accurate estimates 

 of this stand, obtained during the past year, indicate a total on the 

 Forests of the continental United States of about 530 billion board 



