304 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



excellent results obtained by similar selection with other plants, and 

 especially with flax for seed, indicate that improved varieties of 

 uniform flax for fiber may be expected, making it unnecessary to im- 

 port from Europe flax seed for fiber growing, as has been done 

 heretofore. The increasing demand for linens during the past season, 

 resulting in an improved market for the fiber, has led to a greater 

 interest in the production of flax fiber in this country. 



Sisal and other hard fibers. — The experimental plantation of sisal, 

 henequen, and zapupe near Yauco, P. R., carried on in cooperation with 

 the Porto Rico Agricultural Experiment Station, is showing excellent 

 results in the development of the plants, and plans are being made to 

 harvest some of the leaves for the first crop of fiber during the coming 

 year. An experimental plantation of sisal, cabuya blanca, from Costa 

 Rica, and two varieties of zapupe from eastern Mexico, has been started 

 on one of the Florida Keys. The growth of these plants thus far 

 gives excellent promise of success. 



Plans for future work.- — Plans are being made for the ensuing 

 year to extend the cooperative work with hemp in order to encourage 

 the cultivation of this crop over a wider area ; to cultivate plats of flax 

 for selection at three or more points so as to obtain information 

 regarding effects of soil and climate, and especially to avoid danger of 

 total loss from unfavorable weather conditions in any one place ; and 

 to investigate other fiber-producing agaves in Mexico so as to intro- 

 duce those kinds which are found most promising. 



TAXONOMIC AND RANGE INVESTI;GATI0NS. 



The Taxonomic and Range Investigations of the Bureau have con- 

 tinued along the same general lines as heretofore, under the general 

 charge of Mr. Frederick V. Coville, Botanist. 



Improvement of forest grazing areas. — As a partial result of 

 the cooperative work with the Forest Service on the improvement of 

 forest grazing areas a report has been published as Circular 178 of 

 ' the Forest Service, entitled, " The Pasturage System of Handling 

 Range Sheep," by James T. Jardine. It is shown that under this 

 system, when sheep are relieved, not only from dangers due to wild 

 animals, but from the worry and restrictions imposed by a herder^ 

 and his dogs, the sheep scattered out and fed where they pleased : they 

 selected the grass that suited them best ; they chose clean bed grounds; 

 they went to water whenever thirsty and only when thirsty; they 

 wasted far less vegetation by trampling; they fattened more quickly; 

 they did not lose their fat from long drives and the worry of sheep 

 dogs ; and they produced a heavier fleece. 



As an outgrowth of the coyote-proof pasture experiment already 

 under way, an experiment was begun in the spring of 1910 on the use 

 of 40-acre coyote-proof inclosures for lambing purposes. This ex- 

 periment was located in the Cochetopa National Forest of Colorado. 

 The experiment begun in 1908 in the "Wallowa National Forest of 

 northeastern Oregon on the natural reseeding of destructively over- 

 grazed mountain pasture areas has been brought to a successful 

 conclusion, and a report will be ready for submittal for publication 

 during the present year. 



