286 ANNUAL REPORTS OF D^.PARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



undertaken last year on Sugar Loaf Key, Fla.. are being continued 

 with promise of a successful outcome. During the fall of li)10 these 

 experiments sustained considerable damage from hurricanes; never- 

 theless, a large proportion of the plants withstood the conditions, the 

 growth made by the sisal plants being especially encouraging. 



Plans for future avork. — In order to obtain the results expected 

 from the experiments now in progress, plans are being made for the 

 continuation of the work along the general lines already under way, 

 as follows: 



(1) The extension of cooperative hemp work, encouraging its cul- 

 tivation over a wider area; (2) the further investigation of hemp 

 machinery wnth a view to reducing the cost of handling the crop; 

 (3) the breeding of flax of improved fibjr and better seed varieties, 

 Avith special attention to soil and climatic effects; and (4) the further 

 introduction of fiber-producing agaves and other hard-fiber plants 

 through investigation in Mexico of the varieties found to be most 

 promising for cultivation in this country. 



TAXONOMIC AND RANGE INVESTIGATIONS. 



The taxonomic and range investigations have continued under the 

 direction of Mr. F. V. Coville. 



Domestication of the blueberry. — The results of the experiments 

 on the domestication of the blueberry have been published. The 

 most important point remaining to be determined before blueberry 

 culture could be definitely recommended as an agricultural industry 

 was the return from a blueberry plantation in actual productive 

 operation. Several years would have been required to secure this 

 information experimentally. One of the results of publication, how- 

 ever, was to bring to the knowledge of the department the actual 

 existence of a blueberry plantation near Elkhart, Ind., more than 20 

 years old. This plantation, which was examined during the past 

 year, was established about 1889 on a piece of sandy bog land con- 

 taining wild blueberry plants. This bog the owner drained, cleared 

 of brush, and set with wild blueberry plants of bearing age. The 

 plants were procured from large swamps in southern Michigan. 

 They were set in rows at a distance of 8 feet each way and were kept 

 clear of all other growth by shallow cultivation supplemented by 

 hand weeding. The plantation has been very productive and profit- 

 able, the net profits this year being a little more than $160 per acre. 

 Exact records for the earlier years are not in existence. 



Improvement of forest grazing areas. — The experiments in the 

 National Forests in the use of coyote-proof fences for the pasturage 

 of sheep and for lambing inclosures, improvements in the methods of 

 handling sheep so as to utilize the forage in the most effective and 

 least injurious manner, studies of the methods of natural reseeding 

 of destructiveh' overgrazed ranges, and of artificial reseeding are all 

 producing results of great importance in their bearing on the con- 

 servation and development of the grazing resources of the National 

 Forests and of other range lands as well. 



Taxonomic studies of cultivated and other economic plants are 

 progressing, with special reference to the needs of other branches of 



