The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-05-23
SEED FROM THE ORIENT.
FAR EASTERN PLANTS THAT MAY
BE CULTIVATED HERE.


Methods of Agriculture.
Professor S. A. Knapp has lately re-
turned to Washington from a visit to
Japan, China and the Philippines,
where he went as agent of the Agri-
cultural Department to secure such
native seeds aud plants as could be
proftably grown and developed in the
United States, and to procure for ex
| pertinent an improved kind of rice,
grown and cultivated in Japan. Mr..
Knapp said to a reporter:
MANY parts of our rice belt have
suffered considerable loss by break
age in the milling of the rice, due to
the poor quality of the grain. In
many districts over sixty per cent. is
broken in milling. The loss to the
| planter is easily seen when it is
known that the head or whole rice
brings two cents more to the pound
| than that which has been broken.
| The Agricultural Department took the
question under consideration. know.
ing that il quality of rice could be
| secured that would not break to any
large extent during the milling pro-
cess 1t would be a great saving to the
| planters. Specimens from all rice
| growing countries of the world were
secured by the Department, and after
careful analysis it was found that
the rice grown In japan would come
nearest to solving the problem.
II secured a carload of rice, which
is now on it way across the continent
from San Francisco, from the island
of Kyushu, which lies south of the
Inland Sea. The quality of this rice
Is much superior to that of China and
the Philippines, for the reason that it
is better cultivated, that the berry is
rounder and that it is less liable to
break under milling process. In addi-
ton to rice i brought some varieties
| of pears that are considered blight
proof and recommended by the Impsr-
ial Agricultural Society OF Japan for
general use as grating stock on ac-
count of being so hardy. / also Sc
cured In Japan variety OF a camphor
tree, used to make commercial cam
phor, which will stand heavy frost.
Among other varieties secured is a
new forage plant known as the haQi.
a species OF the lespideza II will
grow on light and thin soil, should be
cut four or five times every year, and
is indorsed as nutritious as clover.
Believing that it's introduction would
be exceedingly beneficial to the
Southern States, on account of the
variety of uses to which it can be
put, / secured several varieties of
bamboo.
Japan" continued Mr.. Knapp.
"can never cut any great figure i'll ag-
riculture outside of her own neces-
sites, because the area of arabic land
is so small that there is only enough
to produce food for her own people
There are from forty-four to forty-five
million people in the empire, aud the
land that can be cultivated is oniy
1900 square miles, or about one
third the area of the State of Iowa.
Japan must exert her greatest ir-
flucnce in the industrial world through
her manufactures aud not through
her agriculture. All of her ap-
riculture is hand process, like
gardening. For example, the rice
and wheat produced in the empire is
first planted in hotbeds and trans
planted in the fields, treating it the
same as our farmers do cabbage. The
fields are so small that it is impossi-
BILE to use machinery on them.
In methods of cultivation the CON
ditions in China are similar TO those
IN Japan, except that China is a very
large country, and the area of fertile
land is larger in proportion. Nearly
all tue labor on the farms and in the
fields is done by hand. Undoubtedly
opened to the trade of the world. and
the commerce will he of such vast ex-
tent that it will give great impetus
to trade In our own country.
In great many respects the gen
eral character of the Philippine ISL
ands is like that of Japan, but there
is much larger area of land that can
be cultivated. The islands lie in the
warm ocean current, so that the tenn
perature is as conducive to growth as
that of any country in the world.
while the rainfall is very heavy and
uniform. The report Of the Manila
observatory shows that in some years
rain falls as many as 200 days, while
the annual average of rainfall is from
seven to ten feet "
Referring to the principal products
of the islands, Professor Knapp said
that North Luzon was mainly devoted
to rice and tobacco; Central Iuzon TO
rice and sugar; Southern Luzon TO
hemp; the islands Of Panay. Negros
and Cebu to sugar. while the island of
Mindanao Is famous for its fine tim
Der. Just before the professor left
Manila a section Of mahogany tree
seven feet in diameter was brought in
from that island The mineral wealth
OF the islands is as great as the aQri.
cultural, the supplies Of coal. iron and
copper being very rich. Many coal
mines are reported with nine TO twelve
foot veins
As TO the persimmons. Professor
Knapp found very few varieties suG
iicienuy tested TO be worthy Of intro.
ductiou. a few, however. we're go.
cured. The persimmons. the report
shows, are the most universally nsed
OF all the fruits in Japan Thismakes
the first importation Of tho seedless
variety Of the persimmon. which is
dried and preserved like a fig. some
plums were purchased IN Japan for
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