Omaha daily bee., 1897-12-01
WILL NEBRASKA RAISE cAxAIGREs
Secretary TIT Propounds the Question
TO ChancelIor MacLcnn.

Tie Commercial club and Secretary UT
have set TO work with determination 20 dis
cover whether another product as valuable as
chicory and sugar bee may not be added
| 10 the list OF Nebraska crops. This IS
! canaigr@pronounced "kah-nah-gray." and
meaning the oIan; commonly known as sour
doCk-which bids fair to reyolutionize the in
dustry OF lesther-;anning.
| It is believed that the product can be
| raised upon the arid plains in the western
part of the state. as /: is now being grown
| upon the deserts OF New Mexico. II this
should be fond to be the case. land in west
! srn Nebraska would be as desrs6le as in the
other parts, since there is considerable proF;
in the crop. An account Of the Dlant and its
possibilities was published in The Bee last
Sunday.
The matter o: investigating whether canal
ere could oe raised in this state was taken
up by ;he Commercial club some dale ago
but vas drcnPei without much progress be
ing made. One result WAS discovered. how
-ver and that was that the plant icurlshs5
N Cut on island, resident there hlvil-
raised a crop. The matter was again
brought up before the Commercial club b.
Secretary UT al the last meeting Of thl;
body and he was instructed 10 write to the
University OF Nebraska. requesting that eN-
Cer.ments be made with the plant. In our
suance Of these instructions Secretary u:
Els sent the following communication T.
OMAHA, Nov. 50.-George f. MacLsan.
Chancellor University OF Nebraska. Lincoln
Dear Sir: This club has considered the
cultivation OF canaiGre in Nebraska Tne
conclusion is that Is should be done --e
coming season in an experimental way and
that there is a fair possibility OF success
There IS some evidence that the plants car
be raised in this state; the roots are planted
and harvested about the same as sweet pc-
Il Is stated the cost is 500 per acre, the prod
uce IS twenty ton per acre, The value 81
per ton; the figures seem in-re 7tble
l. is further stated that th- pant con-
tains 20 per CEN OF tanHic acid. The demon
s,ralion OF. our ability 70 produce canaigre
would be beyond COuDura-iOn in value TO
cur state for many reasons: our farmers 10
be prosperous must have diversity OF crops:
cHicory and sugar beets are Of great value
fits do not compare vi h those arising from
the successful raising Of canagre.
Inc uine Is, - i1st ap2r2acAlns when sneeI
by millions; the hides OF cattle are taken
20 sections. where tan bark IS available: it
has been dsmOnstra. ed that the tan bark
cannot be hauled 10 the hides, so that our
| hides may b. made into sole leather In Ten
nessee and - ipped 10 Massachusetts and
where the animal was slaughtered
This Is all a question OF tanaic acid; in
addition TO the large percentage Of tannlc
acid in the roots o. canaigre II IS Gained
It will make more desirable leather than tan
bark; also thai the hides remain In the So
luton only twelve hours, while II REQUIRES
three months Were tan bark = used. So
must appear that the material for tanning
! hides would b cheaper in Nebraska than
! elsuH here, II the plant can be raised. and
As hides are cheaper here. Omaha ECG'd
have the cheapest leather OF any point IN
the world This being true, tanueTlss would
be IN op=r4 ion ana following c-ese would be
factories that consume lca--er in making
articles that are used In the west
Again the plant grows on the arid ground
Of New Mexico and California, so that IL Is
possible our vast acres OF land in ives stern
Nebraska, III only for grazing. would be
! jus, he section where production Of CaEa!srz
would be successful
Finally. l. T. not rNithiBg the province OF
the Agricultural college TO consider this
question AZ once and eldeay9r to Introduce
the plant this coming year, 50 tina. Ee may
not only be convinced OF ne facts but show
the r5su.s al IRE exposition Il mlc1t be
the experiment, II made should be on the
college farm as well as in the western part
of the state. Please let me know what your
views are on ne subject and Will you pros
eCu-e The matter 20 an issue2
/ Win deep respect. yOurs truly
JOHN f. UT. Secretary