The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-06-14
SUGAR PROSPECTS INU. 5.
SECRETARY WILSON'S OPINION
OF THE FUTURE.
Makes Tour of Southern States and
Foresees Great Agricultural Improve
ment-Sugar, Rice and Tobacco.

WASHINGTON. May 3O-Secretary
Wilson has returned form an extended
tour through Louisiana and Texas,
where he rubbed elbows with the farm
ers and exerted his influence to hasten
them in the diversification of their
products.
"One of the most striking facts dis
covered" said the secretary, was the
advanced work being done by the ex-
pertinent stations of Louisiana and
Texas. They are anticipating what the
one crop farmer may be compelled to
do in the early future. Their inquiries
are being made in the interest of the
cotton grower, who is receiving meager
returns for his outlay. Both these sta
lions are experimenting with alfalfa. 1t
grows abundantly on the deep rich soils
around the gulf. 1t can be cut once a
month. This makes many things posi-
BILE. The livery men of New Orleans
have discovered already that ton of
alfalfa hay is much more valuable to
them that ton of timothy or wild hay.
The dairymen will discover presently
that conditions in the south are perctf-
liarly favorable for the production of
butter and cheese In the hill districts
of the south, where. springs are abund-
ant, dairying can be conducted without
ice or refrigerating plants, but around
the gulf, where the water comes out of
the ground at temperature of about
40 degrees, il will be necessary to have
cooling processes. | saw as fine dairy
cows in the two States visited as l have
found anywhere, and it is only q uIles-
ton of extending their number when
dairying will be a leading industry in
the South.
THE sugar growers have been much
encouraged by the operations of the
Dingley tariff act. This may also be
said of the rice and tobacco producers
Nnf tlagt.V 81
all these industries and Northern men
are going down there. Along the coast
region considerable prairie is yet being
Sra1ed by ranch cattle. The land is well
stocked with plant food, moisture is
abundant, and anything can be produc-
ed. The railroads of the section are
much more enterpriSing than is custom
airy in regard to encouraging industries
The Southern Pacific is especially help
full and encouraging to the rice men.
II stopped off at many places and
examined industries that were new to
me. To give Chicago people some idea
of the amount of work in connection
with the irrigatins systems, where wa
ter is lifted out of the bayOus and deep
rivers, which are common along the
coast line, might refer to one pumping
station at Crowley, where 400, 900 gallons
of water is pumped into reservoir in
minute, or % per cent more than the
amount of water that will be let into
the Chicago river from Lake Michigan,
and this is only one of many plants.
Tens of thousands of acres are being
irrigated by this method.
The United States produces some
thing like 16 per cent of the sugar it
consumes, and about 30 per cent of its
rice. 1t will only be a short time be-
fore the whole of it's sugar is produced
at home, but the increase will not come
so much from the South as from the
North. The State of Michigan is now
building nine sugar beet factories. The
increase will be evident as the field eX-
tends from the Atlantic to the Pacific
along the northern boundary. We pay
something under A,00O,OO0 a year for
rice from foreign countries In a few
years it will be produced at home.
THE enterprise of Southern railway
men and Northern capitalists is rapidly
discovering the tobacco lands of Texas
Along the International & Great North
ern railroad are found tobacco planta-
tons of 400 acres that have never been
reported by any nsus-taker.