The evening times., 1899-11-20
FOR COLONIAL STATIONS
Agricultural Experiments Proposed
in the Possessions.
Secretary Wilson to Ask Congress-
for Money to Establish n system
similar to That in This Country.
The Rubber-GrOwing Industry.
Views Expressed by the officials.

The Department of Agriculture is plan
ming to establish experiment stations in
! Porto Rico, Cuba. and the Philippines.
similar to those in this country and esti-
mates of the cost of these stations are to
be made in Secretary Wilson's forthcom-
ing annual report
| Last year Congress authorized no expen-
| diture for agricultural work in the new
territory. but it is reasonably certain that
liberal allowance will be made at the
coming session.
The United States annually imports from
tropical countries over 5000 O.O00, 900 worth
Of products, that are not found in any
quantities at home. such as coffee. rubber,
gutta-p percha. and vanilla. About $50 0,000,-
coo worth of rubber is annually received
The Department of Agriculture proposes
to investigate largely the possibilities Of
cultivating the rubber tree in these ISL
ands. At the present time the price Of
rubber is continually advancing. This is
apparently due to an increased demand
without proportionate increase in the
supply. Several decades ago some British
colonies took up the question of cuitivat-
ing India rubber but were unable to make
a commercial success of it.
The question now is whether with the
increased price of the product and the ad-
vance in agricultural science the cultiva-
tion of India rubber cannot be made
profitable industry in our tropical depend
encies
There are forty or fifty species CT rub
ber plants which yield commercial rubber.
but only three species of trees have thus
far been utilized to any large extent. 1le
Department of Agriculture will conduct
tests until it is learned which species are
bsst adapted to any particular soil in ques-
tion. and how they must be grown.
Secretary Wilson explained today that
scientists will be sent Out to take charge
and assist at the station. who are best ac-
quainted with tropical agriculture, and
that they Will conduct tests of all the in
digenous vegetables and fruits of the ISL
ands as well as introduce others which will
become source of comfort or revenue to
the natives. Said Secretary Wilson:
We propose to teach the people of those
islands how to produce their growing
things 10 the best advantage. We will
help them to- develop their Industries ac-
cording TO the climate. There is nothing
in our libraries. to speak of, regarding the
work that scientists have done in tropi, al
countries. Things have grown natula ly
and the return from the soil in many in
stances is a mere fraction of what ii can
be. We would teach these people regard
ing their soils. the relation of plants TO
soils. and the relation of plants TO animals,
and ascertain for them in what manner
they can improve production and diversity
their crops.
We own climate now" continued Sec
retary Wilson. from Point Barrow TO the
Zulu group, The United States can grow
anything there in the world. II would
seem wise to take steps TO make this pro-
ductiveness fruitful of the best results
to help the people in these distant islands
to make their own labor more valuable.
The products of these islands are in
competition with similar products else
where. Our brown man is competing with
other brown men. We want 10 help Our
brown man so that he will beat all other
brown men,
Secretary Wilson spoke of the natives OF
these different islands as the veTiest chill !
dren OF the United States. We have
adopted them and mus now train them
TO be honest and useful people" he con-
tinued. They know only the \. B. C's Of
the subjects that pertain TO their well-be
ing.
The Department of Agriculture rro-
poses to do its share in making these peo-
pie Industrious and honest. In a short
time" Secretary Wilson continued. these
people will realize that they never enjoyed
such pleasant conditions as under the
United States. There is no reason why
they should not advance rapidly in all the +
arts of civilization under the influences 7
which the United States will bring to bear |
upon them. This department will have !
new problems presented to it. few years ;
ago bacterial disease attacked the coffee |
trees of Java. No scientists there knew |
anything about bacterial diseases. and |
could not save the trees by spraying and |
other methods employed. The disease
continued and destroyed every coffee tree
in Java. Now We will teach the natives
under us how to handle such diseases
They will be taught how to hybridize and
crossbreed their plants so as to get new
They can grow under scientific
instruction vegetables and fruits of which
al the preit nj time they have no conception
In all their products they derive now only
he poorest and smallest amount. In few
years We hope TO be able to make the re-
turns more nearly what they should be- !
which will enrich these dependencies be-
yond the widest expectation of the ma
ives"