Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-24
Secretary Wilson Talks Of His Recent
Trip.
DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIES INCREASING
Results Of Experiments Of CuItiva-
ton of Tea
MANUFACTURE OF COTTON


AgFI, ulture returned to the city yesterday
after his trip through the southern states,
wher. he given hearty reception
wherever he went. His trip was In defer
ence 20 the wishes IF the President, who
wanted Alim to personally investigate the
cotton. tobacco, rice sugar, fruit grazing
and other industries of the south, and in all
these lines of work the Secretary brought
back encouraging reports
The south as a whole, is prosperous,
said Mr.. Wilson to a Star reporter today
The Secretary very busily engaged in
attending to his correspondence, which got
very much in arrears during his absence
from the city, but h found time to talk in
teres tingly on the south and its present out
look and future prospects.
Diversified Industries.
The fact that cotton is cheap. he con-
tinued, lis leading a great many people to
turn their attention to other Industries.
The question of diversification of crops IS
being considered in all parts of the south
Where the cotton factories are going UP
there. money is being put in circulation by
the employees. Wherever the truck gardens
are being started they are causing money
to come into the sections in which they are
located, as their product goes a most en-
tireiy to the north All the southern states
giving attention to the production
of something TO be sold in the north. Inc
value of their experimental stations Is being
demonstrated daily. The directors OF these
stations are not only ascertaining the most
economical methods for producing the sta
pie crops of the south, but they are antcl-
pating what the farmer will want to do in
the future. They are testing the adapta-
biity of plants that common in the
north to the southern soil and climate. DR..
Stubs of the Louisiana experimental sta
ton has demonstrated COnciuSlVe.y Tor the
people of Louisiana that alfalfa will grow
as abGndantly, or more abundantly, than is
the case along the irrigated portions of Ne
DrdSka. he planted alfalfa last November
at Audubon Park, New Orleans, and has
cut it three times and expects to cut 1t
five times before next November.
1t is practicable on the rich bottom lands
of the south to grow alfalfa and cut it once
a month. The livery stable men of New
Orleans have learned that ton of alfalfa
Is much more valuable than a ton of timo-
thy. and that discovery on their part Will
have an important effect on the future Gull
tivation of that article"
Tea Cultivation.
What progress is the south making in
the cultivation of tea?" Mr.. Wilson was
asked.
1T is only a question of time" he re-
piled, when the south produces all the tea
the people in the United States want This
department proposes to push experimental
ton along that line. We intend to establish
a tea farm in every southern state as soon
as That can be done intelligently. We pro-
pose to get the fines varieties of tea to be
/ found in the orient and to have the plant
| ing done where growlh can be forced
| through irrigation 50 as to get plenty of
t'tehder shoots. The young people of the
south can earn enough to- clothe and board
| themselves during the school period by
| picking tea Mr. Shepard of Summervile
). e. has NIFTY acres cultivated as a tea
| farm He tod his col0red neighbors that
| he would build them Il school house and
| provide a teacher for their children free of
| cost if they would agree to let the children
| pick tea leaves for him twice a week at a
| reasonable rate of wages for their time
| That has succeeded. The children are get
| ting their education and are earning enough
| 10 maintain themselves. l am in favor of
| that kind of child labor, though | would
| emphatically oppose acing young children
in factory, where they could not secure
| an education. l do not think a child will
| ever be Of any value 10 himself or his cOun-
try who is brought up in utter idlencss
| until the 18th year of age is reached. He
| must learn to do chores, assume RESPONSE
| blities and be one of the bread winners of
| the family.
The Sugar Industry.
Speaking of the sugar industry, the Sec
| rotary said:
Very extensive improvements have late
| ly been made in the sugar factories in an.
| ticipation of d life-and-dea tn struggle with
sugar countries where labor is cheaper anG
| conditions quite favorable. The actua
| condition today is that of admirable prep
| aration for handling a large crop, with
prospect. however, OF the present crop be
ing cut down 81 per cent by the frosts Of
last winter The encouragement given by
the D!ngIey tariff VIII have a tendency t
increase the area Of production and attrac
| capital to the enterprise. The people are
much more concerned over the future poll
cy Of Congress respecting their industry
| than they are over the heavy loss on tn,
coming crop by low temperatures. They
are Pleased to note the great increase o
sugar production from beets in the north
| ern states, judging that they will not b,
| alone in the future when public policies arr
| formed regarding the Importation of the
| product. The large amount Of money be
ing paid to foreign countries for saccharin
matter gives abundant opportunity for en-
| terpriSe in the production of sugar within
the United States. and every effort viii
now be made by the producers of sugar t
earn that money"
The Political Situation
Referring to the political situation, thu
Secretary said
The people accommodate themselves t,
circumstances, politically. The republican,
say, We want protection Others who d.
not like to use the word protection say
The government needs revenues But
however it is put the present policies @
the government are very popular
| The Secretary also expressed the opinion
that the encouragement given by the Ding
ley tariff has had a marked effect on TIL
rice producers aroLnd the gulf, and tina
extensive arrangements are generally beins
made 10 produce all the rice consumed il
the United States. which he thinks will b.
soon brought about
There seems" the Secretary said, ito b
very good reason for the sanguine dispo
sition of capital and enterprise to produc
sugar, tobacco and rice in the gulf states
particularly sugar, as it has been aScer
tanned through extensive experimentation
ca rried on by the Department of Agricul
! ture that nearly all the northern state
| from New York to California well suit
| ed for the production of sugar from beats
| Much has been done for sugar production
| In the south by scientific investigation. TIL
| sugar planters years ago secured the serv
| ices of DR.. w. c. Stubs. who has not oni
| directed all their improvements in the feel
| and factory, but has educated young me-
| .Ia "A r~rta rod to