PLANT INTKODUCTION, 29 



from one district or iieiiz;hborhood to another. Tlie iniinber of foreign 

 plants wliicli the Department of Agriculture is introducing into the 

 United States through its trained agents is ver}^ surprising to one not 

 acquainted with the facts, and thei-e is a constant transference of 

 varieties within the country to localities new to them. These agents, 

 by becoming acquainted with the various local conditions of our own 

 country, and then seeking plants in foreign countries having similar 

 climate and soil, are able to understand the needs of each locality 

 and to . introduce plants which will thrive and become useful. As 

 illustrating the extent of the work in this line which it is practicable 

 to do, it may be mentioned that in Minnesota several hundred kinds 

 of wlieat have been introduced, mainly by the experiment station, 

 and somewhat lesser numbers of several other cereals; also numerous 

 species and varieties of forage and root crops, besides hundreds of 

 varieties of apples and other trees, small fruits, and flowers. From 

 the station the most promising varieties are transferred to the sub- 

 stations, to a dozen trial stations distributed throughout the State, 

 and to many farms from which rei^orts'are required. And when it is 

 observed that a somewliat similar work is maintained in each of the 

 States and Territories of the United States, it may be seen that plant 

 introduction is a prominent feature. With the national Department 

 of Agriculture encouraging, leading, and directing the main features 

 of this work, the whole is held together in a helpful way, and good 

 results are being realized. Seed and nursery firms, i)rivate individu- 

 als, and agricultural and horticultural societies are also doing much 

 to assist in adai^ting varieties to special conditions. 



That this line of helpful work is not overdone is shown by some of 

 the recent beneficial results. Broinus inermis, an important forage 

 grass for the drier areas of the Northwest, and Dwarf Essex rape, a 

 forage plant suited to providing succulent forage in early and late 

 autumn, are examples of new crops of very great value in the North- 

 west. The tea and the man}' new i)lants from the Mediterranean 

 regions which are being introduced into the South and Southwest by 

 the Department of Agriculture illustrate the fact that there are 

 regions elsewhere from which only j)art of the plants have been here- 

 tofore brought to this country for thorough and fair trial. Each of 

 the varieties now existing in each locality in other countries and those 

 being bred foi- special conditions by our foreign friends ma}' fit into 

 some locality, broad or limited in area as the case may be, in our own 

 (country. And, likewise, jilants which ai'e so changed as to suit spe- 

 cial environments in oui- country may find their special niches in one 

 or nu)re foreign countries. We have a case in i)oint in Indian corn. 

 In America this crop has been bred for numerous conditions. Early, 

 large-yielding dent varieties have finally been bred for soutliern 

 Minnesota and other Northern States. In Europe oidy those large- 

 yielding varieties of corn from the Souih have been tried, and they 



