EDITORIAL. 
and Plant Introduction of the United States Department of Agriculture 
has assembled, through the work of its explorers, and through exchange 
with the British East Indian Departments of Agriculture, one of the 
largest collections of selected mango varieties in the world. There are’ 
now fruiting at the Plant Introduction Field Station, Miami, Fla., 
about twenty varieties this year, and these represent the selections from 
more than 70 sorts of this great fruit. ‘Some of these have scarcely 
more fibre on them than a free-stone peach, and can be cut open length- 
wise and eaten as easily with a spoon as a Rocky Ford cantaloupe. 
They have an indescribably agreeable aroma, reminiscent of pinc- 
apples. The mango tree, when it is in bearing, is a gorgeous sight, for 
it is a large long-lived tree, and the golden-yellow fruits, as they hang 
in great clusters from the dark-green foliage, make one of the great 
tropical plant sights of the world. pag 
RICE EXPORTS TO JAPAN SHOW INCREASE FOR FIRST 
QUARTER. k 
The United States exported more than 300,000 lbs. of rice to Japan 
during the first three months of this year, according to figures of the 
Bureau of Markets, United States Department of Agriculture. In 
contrast, less than 1,000 lbs. of this commodity were exported to Japan 
during the entire year of 1919. The average rice exports of the United 
States to all countries during the period 1910-14 were less than 
20,000,000 Ibs. a year. ‘To-day, the exports range from 30,000,000 to 
60,000,000 Ibs. a month. This enormous export business has been made 
possible by the development of the rice industry in California, based 
upon experiments made by Department of Agriculture scientists in 
growing rice in communities where it was said to be impossible to grow 
this commodity. ‘The first commercial field of rice in California was 
planted in the Sacramento Valley in 1912. There are now a dozen rice 
mills in operation in this State, which handled £4,000,000 worth of 
rice last year. There is an almost unlimited opportunity for future 
development of this industry in the United States, say the Department's 
specialists. The rice-growers are most enthusiastic over the outlook, 
and declare that they are going “ to teach the American people that rice 
is one of the finest foods in the world.” i 
IMPROVED MINE-RESCUE METHODS AND APPARATUS. 
The Mine-rescue Apparatus Research Committee of the Depart- 
ment of Scientific and Industrial Research have presented their second 
report to the Advisory Council of the Department, on whose recommen- 
dation it has now been published. The work described in the report 
relates chiefly to experimental results obtained during the last two 
\ 
years since the publication of the Committee’s first report, and to the — 
description of new or improyed mine-rescue methods and apparatus 
which are the outcome of the investigation. The report is divided into 
four parts:—I. Physiological considerations and experiments; II. 
Deaths due to rescue apparatus; III. Approval of mine-rescue appa- 
ratus; IV. Miscellaneous; and two appendices are included—I. The 
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