The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-11-25
'HYACINTH PLANTAPEST
ASSUMING ALARMING PROPORTIONS
IN FLORIDA RIVERS.

Ev;I-Firhting with q Parasite Fungus
The hyacinth pest in Florida Is OF
alarming proportions, especially on
the st. Johns river and its trlbutar-
;as For several years residents have
strenuously battled against the plague
of the hyacinth plant which mas III,
| voded their waterways, hindeting NOT
| only commerce, but various INDUS
tries and inficting severe pecuniary
loss on many. At last the plague mas
| reached so serious a stage that the
war Department Investigated the mat
Ter and bills were introduced into
congress with view OF remedyinS
the difficulty. The Windsor Maya
zine recently had an interesting article
on the subject, entitled. "a River
Choked with Hyacinths," written by
Walter Ackroydd, from which we op-
tain our Information. The particular
species of hyacinth which chokes the
St. Johns river thrives only in water
or in places where the soil Is very |
marshy, As rule it simply noats
upon the surface Of the water without
| any attachment whatever OF Its roots
tn the soil, and under these con-
ditions it fiourishes more luxurlantiy.,
The flower is not OF o pretty DELL
shane which characterizes the bloom
of the flower we ordinarily know by
the name of hyacinth. nor Is the
+. nge OF color SO varied. Inc mowers
are invariably of either light blue OF
violet. In the springtime the vast
expanse of flowers upon the surface
OF the water presents q very striking
| picture; the leaves grow to consldera-
ble size. a bunch of stems frequently
averaging from one to two feet IN
height. The roots also grow IN many
cases to length of three feet, aud III
exceptional cases even longer.
A pond at Edgewater, four miles
. above the town OF Palatka. was first
infested with the hyacinth plant In
:. 1890 the sheet of water was cleaned
.. out and the plants were thrown IN
. the river. They Immediately grew
!, luxuriantly and travellers and tourists
we're much struck by the pretty sight,
I" and being ignorant of their multiply
}. ing propensities, they carried away
q specimens to grow in the rivers near
i their homes. In four years the hsh-
e. ermen began to be alarmed at the y
s. acinth. which entangled their hets'
% steamers also found that their pro-
10 eress was retarded by huge c!umps OF
T. the hyacinth. The evil has grown
until at the present time the hya'
x. cinth invests the st. Johns RIVER loi
n a distance of over 200 miles, the
OF banks on either 81 of the water De
he ing fringed with border OF plants
- from rs to 200 feet in width. Th'
he stream is so sluggish that the hya
nd cinth is able to hold its own and null
"a tiply rapidly. At places the entir'
am river is covered with q dense mat o
to plants SO that there is vast expans
.es of flowers a mile wide during TN
. period when it blooms. Small boat
. with screw propellers find it imposssl
q ble to make any Roadway. as tn
plants become entangled IN the screws
Side-wheel paddle steamers laI
better, but the plants are apt to CO..
lect in the padde-box, making a
A Uncomfortable blanket, 80 that ID
q steamers are entirely blocked an
n cannot move in either direction
u Steamers with low pressure engine
have their Injection pipes blocked
the plants. Pieces Of wood and oth'
debris are often concealed by plant
] The timber industry has been orou9
"a almost to a standstili by the hyacinti
and the loss to fishermen is most s
e. we're. In addition, the towns alol
r. the river are menaced by anoIher e'
re which is even more serlous. Wn'
a, heavy rainfalls or foods occur. sm'
s. ! drifting islands Of hyacinths are CT
~ ried along by them until they stfl
a bridge, where hey clog and form
30 dam. The pressure 'of the water
=. yerv great, and if the barrier does u
. succumb, tn surrounding country
flooded. In 1894, 65 feet of tres
|, work that spanned the river at II
creek was carried away. At anoti
bridge men had to be specially e
ployed to push the plants through
space under the piers. :.
Various schemes have been devif
for exterminating the plants, but II
'NCY not believed that they can be perm
9TH. nently banished, although 1t
thought that they can be kept un'
ITA- control. The war department rece
mends the construction of Zig
draft stern-wheel steamer, having
double bow or outfigger, which,
being forced into mass OF piai
, ~ will cause them to gather toward
Hill middle of the boat, where the inclll
~' carrier will pick them up and dep
them in front of rollers driven by
chinery. These rollers in turn
force the water from them, thus or,
)! " reducing their bulk. The crus
material would then be thrown
"A. barges and would be taken where
n,c,y damage could be done. The proc
o'"'" would be very expensive and stea
would have to be constantly employ
1t is believed that the plant canno
entirely extirpated. Other sug
. lions have been the use OF broo
81 which will catch the plants trave
N with the current aud bring them
p b standstill. They can then be ia
II 6 out aud destroyed. So far, howe
,ed 81 none of the schemes have been
Ks. "a ried into effect. This is splel
b example of the trouble which CO
b from destroying natures balance,
y q the whole difficulty could have
J. /. Il ,.<,k