Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-03-20
OUR UNPARALLELED RE-
SOURCES.


would get along perfectly we'll if we
were shut by an impossible blockade
from all the rest of the world.
Of wheat and Indian corn it is need
lessly to refer to the vast surplus
which yearly we send to Europe. The
same applies to our exports Of cattle,
dressed beef and pork. While some
oats and barley, poultry, eggs. and
dairy products are brought into this
country from Canada, our dependence
on this source arises simply from the
commercial consider alton of cheap
ness. In the it9m of fruit we have,
as in all our past, a superabundance.
American ice ships sailing to the East
Indies at time as far back as forty
years ago carried hundreds of barrels
of Baldwin apples, packed in every
cargo, and now the shipment of ap-
pies, apricots, nectarines and dried
fruit to Europe cuts considerable of a
figure in our commerce.
For sugar we at present depend
mainly upon Cuba, Porto Rico, Ha-
waii and the Philippines. Were our
communication with these islands to
be cut off, a single years preparation
would be sufficient to SO increase Sthe
area of cultivation Of the cane in the
Gulf States, Of sorghum in all the
Western and Middle States, and of
the sugar beet in every State and to
establish plants with all the machin-
cry for grinding, boiling and refining
in such number as would assure the
people of this country an unstinted
supply. Raisins, grapes and olives for
picking are staple California crops,
and the cotton seed of the Southern
plantations yields an oil which for
every cooking purpose is substitute
for olive oil.
Of sea fish an abundance for all our
needs could be secured within the
three mile limit off the coast that is
assumed to be part of every maritime
nations domain. Tea and coffee are
tho only table luxuries that would be
seriously missed, and the lack of these
would be felt by the rich and poor
alike. With the wide variety Of soil,
climate and attitudes in the United
States. there is little doubt that both
tea and coffee could eventually be
grown successfully in quantities suf-
ficiently to supply all the needs of
the people. But it would require time
both for the natural growth Of the
coffee trees and the tea plants, and
for acquiring by American planters
of the experience sufficient for their
successful cultivation and the treat
ment of the harvest. In the meantime
chicory, raspberry leaves and various
other articles with which tea and cof-
fife often are adulterated would have
wholly to supply their places, to the
physical we'll being Of the consumers,
undoubtedly, if not to the satisfaction
of their taste.
For clothes and other textile fabrics
we produce an ample supply of wool,
with vast surplus of cotton For fl
ner fleece material than wool, there
thrive in California and New Mexico,
and may be increased indefinitely. Of
fax and hemp there is practically no
limit to the possible production in the
United States, should farmers turn
their attention to the raising of these
textile plants. Our factories are more
than sufficient in number for the man
ufacture of every fabric needed for
wearing or for domestic use. The raw
silk which is woven in our 472 factor
les we import, but there is nothing to
prevent the rearing of silk worms in
many of the States.
Ostrich feathers we produce in
California and egrets' plumes are OBJ
tanned in the Louisiana bayous and
estuaries. The beauty who would
array herself in furs may choose from
sable, martin, mink, fisher, ermine,
black and silver fox, all taken by
trappers in our Northern forests; or
may rest her dainty foot On a rug of
wolf Or bear or mountain lion skin
brought from the Rocky Mountains,
or a splendid spotted juguar skin from
Texas Or Arizona. She may adOrn
herself with diamonds from the cast
slope Of the Rockies and the westerly
slopes of the SierraNev ada and Cas-
cade ranges; with opals, topazes and
beryls from the Rockies; with rubies,
sapphires and emeralds from North
Carolina and Montana, and turquoises
and garnets from New Mexico, and
with tourmalines, the finest in the
world, from Maine.
In the way of minerals, we lead
the world in the production Of iron