Evening journal., 1899-02-22
WATER HYACINTHN
Futile Effort Of the Government to
Kill Them in Florida.
The Rapidly Growing Plants Impede
Navigation I'm the 81. Johns
River and Cripple the
Lumber Industry.

nent was originally asked 10 make |
fight for determination on the ground
that the plant was a pest, as clearly,
as the gypsy moth in Massachusetts,,
and that it impeded the navigation Of
rivers. 1t now transpires that the
farmers of Florida think the water
hyacinth pretty good cattle food, and
that they are even propagating it in
places where it had not before existed.
In the hot months the cattle like 10
go down into the shallow water and
eat the hyacinths floating on the sur
face, and while not food of high SUI
periority, it constitutes decided addi-
tion to the bill of fare of the Florida
COW. This strange development in the
case has made it impossible for the de-
partment at Washington to continue
a war of determination against the
plant. as had been purposed, and efforts
are now directed toward keeping il out
of the great paths of navigation, and
letting the rest of the water surface
of the state take care of itself Since
the hyacinth has become a rrcLlem
of navigation it has appropriately Leen
transferred from the department Of
agriculture TO the engineers Office Of
the war department, and under a $1,000
appropriation from congress a party OF
engineers has been studying the sub
ject.
This problem is Of general interest
as showing what a tremendous
strength in combination harmless lit
lie ornamental Towering plants come
10 possess. When large steamer at full
<f INF he
comes almost to a standstill. A screw
propeller finds it impossible to pene-
lrate a very large mass of the plants,
as they become so entangled about the
screw as TO prevent it from revolving
Paddle-wheel steamers are able 10 PEN
citrate masses of the plant much better,
but they are frequently entirely
blocked. The plants collect between
the wheel and bulkheads, packing in
so solidly that it is almost impossible
to reverse the engine. This makes it
very difficult TO approach landing.
The steamboat becomes like train OF
cars without brakes. Steamers with
low-pressure engines are troubled by
the injection pipes becoming clogged
so that sufficient water cannot be Sc
cured for the condensers. In parts of
the river which are very wide, it some
times happens that steamers are
blocked between floating masses of the
plant, carried out Of their channel and
stranded. The timber industry has also
been severely crippled. Where logs
were. formerly RATED down the st.
Johns to the mills, they now have TO
be dragged by the strongest kind Of
tugs through these beds Of water hya-
dnths. and at a. very great expense
Eishing by net has, of course had to
stop. But perhaps the worst feature
OF all is the effect upon bridges. In
case Of flood the hyacinth banks up
against the piles Of the bridge and
makes of the structure a dam which
holds the water back until the pressure
becomes great enough to force away
the obstruction, bridge and all. a new
construction viii have to be adopted II
the plant is allowed to continue its
course.
1t is less than ten years ago since the
flower was first introduced into the
St. Johns river, and that was at Edge
water, about four miles above PalatlSa.
at that place it had been grown for
some time in pond, and TO clear it the
plants were thrown into the rivei. AS
an ornament about the fashionable ho-
tells it has for many years been under
cultivation. When it first began TO
grow in the river no one supposed that
It would ever become a nuisance, and
settlers up and down the stream car
ried punches of it to beautify The slug
gish places. 1t was not until 1894 that
people began TO think the charms OF
the hyacinth had been overestimated,
and that perhaps the st. Johns had
had enough. 1t then appeared much
harder to stop the thing than II had
been to start it. For distance Of 20t
miles Of the st. Johns river Il is now
very abundant, and on the Oclxlawaha
river it lines the shore for about a hun
dred miles, and there is no telling how
far 1t may spread. 1t will not grow In
bracldsh water or where the current
is strong. The effect of frost upon the
plant is not all that might be desired
a single frost cuts It down only to The
surface of the water, and the grea'
freeze in Florida a. few years ago
which killed off the oranges, did not Sc
riously disturb the hyacinth. On th'
other hand, IL Is believed that the re
peated frosts of a river as far north a
the Potomac would be too much for ii
Since the project of exterminatini
the hyacinth has been abandoned thl
present scheme is to construct a serie.
of booms. made of floating logs. whicl
will mark off such part of the strean
as is necessary for navigation. Withii
thea limits boat specially construct
cd for the purpose might ply back ant
forth clearing out the weeds as oftei
as they grow. The material gathere'
by this "hyacinth-catcher" might b
used as fertilizer on the land OF fel
10 the cows and hogs, or burned. anl
perhaps the most profitable disposition
of it would depend upon the locality ii
which the boat was at work. 1t is
matter of great public importance t
beep the st. Johns river open to navi