REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. XXX^ 



efforts of the Department in the introduction of new forms and the 

 obtaining- of information from abroad bearing- on the methods of 

 handling- the crop and preparing- it for market. Particular improve- 

 ment has been made in the rice-growing regions of Texas and Louisi- 

 ana, where the work of the Department has yielded the most striking 

 results. In former reports attention has been called to the great 

 value of this work to the two States named, and such has been its 

 development that at the present time the rice production in this coun- 

 try about equals the demand. 



The Jordan almond is another successful introduction during the 

 year. There are about 5,500,000 pounds of almonds grown in Cali- 

 fornia, but many pounds are still imported from Spain for the reason 

 that the California nut is not equal to the best imported kind, known 

 as the Jordan. During the yeRV buds and scions of this variety have 

 been secured and sent to California, and it is certain that in a few 

 years California-grown Jordan almonds will be on the market. 

 " A special effort was put forth during the year to secure alkali- 

 resistant crops, particularly alfalfas and cottons. Seed of the Turke- 

 stan alfalfa has been obtained and i." now on the way to this country, 

 and will be distributed, under proper direction, during the year. 

 Seed, also, of a number of alkali-resistant cottons has been obtained 

 in Algeria and Egypt, and steps are being taken to place these seeds 

 where the conditions are such as to make their success a valuable 

 adjunct to certain parts of our Western countrj^ 



As a means of further systematizing all of the work connected with 

 the distribution of seeds and plants by the Department, and the intro- 

 duction of the same from foreign countries, jjlans are being perfected 

 for establishing in a number of places in the countr}" testing gardens, 

 which will enable the Department to work out a number of important 

 problems connected with these investigations. It has been found by 

 experience that the pro'miscuous dissemination of seeds, many of which 

 are often of great value, does not give in all cases satisfactory results. 

 It is highly important in all such cases to be able to determine defi- 

 nitely where such plants and seeds are likely to prove most successful. 

 After this is known it is still necessary to convince farmers or fruit 

 growers of the feasibility of growing the particular crop. Even then 

 the work is not finished, for although the crop may be grown readily, 

 the question of a market must be considered. 



Suitable testing gardens, conducted possibl}- in cooperation with 

 some of the experiment stations, but under the direct control of the 

 Department, will be of great value in further continuation of this 

 work. Such gardens may be used for the purpose of standardizing 

 the various varieties of vegetables now being offered by the seedsmen 

 throughout the country. There is at present a great deal of confusion 

 regarding varieties of vegetables, and while the work of breeding is 



