Human Factor in Plant Evolution 299 



have been added to the long list of those previously 

 grown. 



Recent Work in Introducing New Plants. Many 

 new plants have been introduced from foreign 

 countries hardy wheat and apples from Russia, 

 fitted to survive the severe climates of the Dakotas 

 and Montana; dates from Northern Africa and 

 Arabia have been planted successfully in the hot 

 deserts of Arizona and Southern California; and 

 very many other fruits and ornamental plants have 

 come from various parts of the world. Especially 

 is this the case with Japan, which has given to 

 our gardens many of our choicest ornamental plants, 

 and several valuable fruits. Japanese plants, as a 

 rule, are particularly adapted to the Eastern United 

 States, where they often do much better than Eu- 

 ropean plants. The climate of Pacific Asia is very 

 much like that of Atlantic North America, and 

 Asiatic plants find themselves very much at home 

 in the American gardens. 



The great importance of the work of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, and the State Ex- 

 periment Stations, in improving the character of 

 agricultural and horticultural products of the coun- 

 try, need not be dwelt upon at length. By the study 

 of methods of cultivation, and the improvement and 

 selection of varieties adapted to different parts of 

 the country, the study of plant diseases, and, last 

 but not least, the introduction of new varieties from 

 foreign countries, the wealth of the country has 



