rTHB: AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Photo from R. Ford SNAKE TEMPLE AT PENANG Vol. II NOVEMBER. 1925 No. 1 -—'7 FEDERAL-AMERWAN FINANCE BY JOHN POO BE Stimulating the Growth of Washington n HE Federal - American is officered and directed by men who have the interests of this community at heart. Their lives have been lived here—their own personal invest¬ ments are made here—they are constantly and effectively doing their part in developing the resources of this great city, thereby fostering and stimulating its various activities in every possible way. The Federal-American has resources of fourteen million dollars, every loanable dollar of which is made available for the further development of the business enterprises and investment needs of the worthy people of Washington. What can we do for you ? Our capital of $1,200,000.00 is the second largest of any National Bank in Washington. FEDERAL-AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK 1315 F STREET W. T. GALLIHER, JOHN POOLE, Chairman of the Board President THE FOREIGN S JOURNAL VOL. II No. n WASHINGTON, D. C. NOVEMBER, 1925 Foreign Service and Agriculture By WILSON POPENOE, Department of Agriculture THOSE of us who have wandered abroad in From a small bag of tung oil seeds forwarded search of new crops for American farms from Hankow by Consul General Wilcox in 1905 and gardens, as well as those who have has sprung an infant industry which bids fair to worked toward the same end through correspond¬ attain adult stature within the next fifteen or ence directed from Washington, have come to twenty years. The tung oil tree seems to be at feel ourselves a part of the Foreign Service, not¬ home in Florida, and the varnish manufacturers withstanding the fact that our appointments are of this country are encouraging its cultivation in signed by officials of the Department of Agri¬ order to have close at hand a steady and adequate culture instead of the Department of State. And supply of the most valuable drying oil known. we have learned to appreciate the work of diplo¬ Consul Winslow sent in an avocado (alligator matic and consular officers abroad, many of pear) seed from Guatemala in 1904. It was whom have cooperated with us in foreign plant grown at our Plant Introduction Garden in introduction for the past quarter of a century. southern Florida, where it attracted attention be¬ When I commenced my travels for the De¬ cause it ripened its fruits at the opposite season partment of Agriculture twelve years ago, I was of the year from the avocados previously culti¬ often agreeably surprised, upon visiting Amer¬ vated in that State. The stimulus supplied by its ican consuls in remote regions, to have them re¬ behavior brought about the introduction of many mark as I began to explain my mission: “Yes, other varieties from Guatemala, some of which yes, I know about the government’s work of plant are now grown on a commercial scale. introduction; not long ago I sent Fairchild some Consul General Scidmore sent in a valuable seeds!” collection of soy beans from China; the late Con¬ We who are devoting our energies to this work sul Magelssen contributed a variety of date palm find a peculiar fascination, a pleasing romance, from Baghdad which is now flourishing in south¬ in bringing into the United States seeds or plants ern California; while the varying fortunes of which some day may give rise to new industries, other introductions, too numerous by far to be —which may cover vast areas with new crops. included in anything short of a book on the sub¬ Perhaps it is, in part, an expression of the gam¬ ject, combine to make a story which is fraught bling instinct. Apparently it is no monopoly of with possibilities. For it must be remembered ours, anyway, for many consuls and diplomatic that it takes years to establish a new crop. Plants officers abroad have shared it with us. Every sent in ten years ago may still be in the experi¬ once in a while one of them, home on leave, drops mental stage, especially if they are trees or shrubs, in to our Washington office to inquire regard¬ instead of quick-growing cereals or vegetables. ing the fate of a shipment he may have sent us The carob or St. John’s bread sent from Va¬ years ago. lencia by Robert Frazer and Claude Dawson—- 365 and of which we have had more recent shipments thusiasm and vision of Barbour Lathrop, first from Consul Gaston Smith—remains in the ex¬ commenced systematic work along the lines which perimental stage, though its commercial cultiva¬ have been followed since that time. Previous to tion in California was at one time thought to be 1897 valuable plant introductions had been made, assurred, and stock-selling schemes for growing but they were a by-product of other activities. and marketing carob beans were organized and William Saunders’ achievement in establishing foisted on the public. the cultivation of the navel orange in the United Consul Horace Lee Washington long ago had States took place as early as 1870, and was ac¬ the pleasure of smoking a pipe made from an complished through missionaries at Bahai, Brazil. American grown calabash gourd, of which he Two means of securing plant introductions sent the first seeds from South Africa. And are now employed by the Department, through Consul Sprague, should he visit California, will its Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduc¬ see there cork oak trees grown from the several tion, in the Bureau of Plant Industry. They are: barrels of acorns he sent from the Mediterranean, (1) agricultural explorers, who are sent out on even though he will not find a flourishing cork special missions to obtain certain plants, or to col¬ industry in that State, as we hoped might be the lect promising plant material of all sorts in re¬ case. mote and little-known regions; and (2) corre¬ Perhaps it may be well, for the benefit of spondence with diplomatic and consular officers newer members of the Service, to describe briefly abroad, and with experiment stations of foreign the Government's work of Plant Introduction, its governments, botanists, missionaries, and others. aims and organization. In its present form, it Plants introduced by both these means are re¬ may be said to have had its incept on about 1897, ceived at Washington (over sixty thousand lots when Dr. David Fairchild, inspired by the en¬ have been accessioned since the foundation of the office), where they are sub¬ mitted to rigid inspection by of¬ ficers of the Federal Horticul¬ tural Board. If they are free from dangerous insect pests and plant diseases, they are sent to one of the Plant Intro¬ duction Gardens for prelimi¬ nary testing and propagation. Data regarding the origin of each “plant immigrant” are re¬ corded in a published “In¬ ventory of Seeds and Plants Imported,” and as soon as sufficient stock is available, young plants are sent to experi¬ ment stations of the Depart¬ ment and the various States; to park superintendents, nurs¬ erymen. and others qualified to give an intelligent trial to the new arrivals. We are often asked by con¬ suls and diplomatic officers go¬ ing abroad, “What sort of plants do you want me to send you?” This is a hard question to answer. Generally speaking, the commonly cultivated fruits, cereals, and other crops which one finds about large cities and towns, no matter in what coun¬ WILSON POPENOE IN GUATEMALA try, have alreadv been tried in 366 the United States, or are known to us and con¬ may prove useful in enabling our plant breed¬ sidered of little promise. It is not easy for one ers to develop valuable strains suitable for ex¬ traveling abroad to pick up, in the course of his tending the zone in which these crops can be ordinary work, valuable new plants of any sort. cultivated in the United States. The world has been combed for this sort of thing: Varieties of fruits, such as apples, peaches, at least the more accessible regions have been so, and others, which mature earlier or later in the and it is only in special instances that new plants season than most of their class, are often highly of real value can be obtained casually by the in¬ valuable. Fruits from northern Asia, resistant experienced traveler. to cold, are desired for the Great Plains region. We often direct specific requests to officers Vegetables which will succeed in moist, warm resident abroad, indicating certain varieties of climates may prove valuable in the Southern plants which are known to occur within striking States, where green vegetables are scarce during distance of their base, and which we desire to the summer months. Forage plants, especially introduce in order to meet definite needs of those which will grow on poor soils, are much American agriculture. One of the Department’s needed for the same region. investigators may be engaged in an attempt to Potatoes and other crops, when of varieties re¬ breed new types of rice, for example, and may sistant to disease or of unusually high food value, require as many different varieties of this crop are always desirable. Tropical fruits which can as can be brought together, so as to select those be grown in California and Florida are of much possessing desirable characteristics which, through interest, but considerable attention has been given crossing or hybridization, can be utilized in de¬ this subject during the past few years, and it is veloping his ideal strain. Or the pathologists of no longer easy to find species which have not al¬ the Department may be engaged in developing ready been introduced.