BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 357 



gation of such promising new introductions as the avocado, mango, 

 and other subtropical fruits, a special expert being appointed to de- 

 A'ote all of his time to this work. As mentioned in the last report, 

 under this reorganization the garden at ISIiami was turned over to 

 the Subtropical Garden Association, to be operated by them under a 

 cooperative agreement. Subsequent developments, however, showed 

 the advisability of reconsidering this arrangement, with the result 

 that at the beginning of the present fiscal year the Department again 

 resumed full direction and control of the ]\Iiami garden work, placing 

 an expert propagator in charge, Avho is familiar with the propagation 

 of such subtropical fruits as the mango, avocado, and anona. 



Plant-introduction garden, Ames, Iowa. — Satisfactory results 

 are being obtained at the station at Ames, in cooperation with the 

 Iowa xVgricultural Experiment Station, in the propagation of intro- 

 ductions thought to be of value for the Great Plains region, where 

 only the hardiest of such plant immigrants will grow and succeed. 

 In addition to a collection of miscellaneous breeding material, there 

 is being assembled at this garden a large collection of relatives of 

 the plum, pear, apple, and peach for breeding and experimental 

 purposes, in an endeavor to develop, if possible, races better adapted 

 to the trying climatic conditions of the central Northwest. Already 

 one new introduction, the wild Chinese peach, has proved hardier 

 than even the Hills Chili, a standard heretofore of extreme hardiness. 



Bamboo garden, Brooksville, Fla. — The generosity of a local 

 tobacco company in deeding 20 acres of fertile hummock land at 

 Brooksville, Fla., heavily timbered with trees indigenous to that sec- 

 tion, to the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, to be held in 

 trust for the use of the Department of Agriculture, made the establish- 

 ment of the bamboo garden possible. The soil, a sandy loam under- 

 laid with clay, is naturally well drained. In view of the similarity 

 of the conditions to those in countries where the bamboo is indigenous, 

 it is believed that an ideal place for this work has been found. Ten 

 acres of this land were cleared in 1909, five of which were planted 

 in the spring of 1910 to four of the best timber varieties of bamboo. 

 The work as planned has for its object the growing of the species of 

 valuable bamboos in sufficient quantity to demonstrate their commer- 

 cial importance in the United States. In addition to these plant- 

 ings at Brooksville, one acre of young imported plants has been set 

 out at Avery Island, La., in cooperation with a local company. 



As bearing on the probable future of bamboo culture in this coun- 

 try, the report from Mr. Frank N. Meyer, Agricultural Explorer, 

 of the successful establishment of a bamboo industry in the Caucasus, 

 giving new methods of handling the canes in the manufacture of fur- 

 niture, deserves mention. 



Aroid root crops. — For several years past experiments in the grow- 

 ing of the edible aroid root crops, yautias, taros, and dasheens have 

 been carried on in the Southern States. These pLints, which are 

 related to the ordinary caladium or elephant's car, yield tubers that 

 arc adapted for table use, stock food, and the mamifacture of starch 

 and industrial alcohol. Their composition is similar to that of the 

 ordinary white potato, and some varieties, when prepared for the 

 tabic, can barely be distinguished from the potato. These crops have 

 been grown as a staple article of food in tropical countries from 



