Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-03-27
BIG CROPS ARE ALIEN
NOT ONE OF OUR GREAT STAPLE
PLANTS is INDIGENOUS.

the Department of Agriculture in
which the Secretary or his assistants
take more pride than that of the in
PRODUCTION of new plants into the
United States. and the Improvement
of those which are already grown in
this country, writes the Washington
correspondent of the New York Com
mercial Advertiser. 1t may be said
that not one of the plants producing
the great staple crops of the United
States is indigenous to the soil. A
few varieties of grapes. plums and ber-
ries are improvements upon those
which We're found growing wild by the
settlers of two centuries ago, but none
of the grains, sugar canes, rice or any
other well-known staples were known
to Americans in the early days of
white settlement. The Indians had
little corn, but even this it Is believed
was brought from Central America
and the grain ifself is so old that its or
igin has never been discovered. The
same may be said of wheat, though it
is probable that the latter originated
in the Eastern Mediterranean regions.
Since this work of the Department of
Agriculture commenced the character
of nearly all of the grains. practically
all of the rice, much of the cotton and
many of the grasses has been entirely
changed from that produced for mar
ket twenty years ago. Hardy and
spring wheats have been brought from
Russia for use in all the Northern
States, date palms have been brought
from Algeria to grow ~ Arizona, Egyp-
tian cotton and Egyptian clover are
now being planted in many of the Gulf
States. and a seedless raisin grape has
come to us from Italy. Up in Michi-
gan, along the sandy lake shores, a
German clover is being planted to hold
the sand dunes in place against the
prevailing winds. Japan has sent us
Il clover which is used extensively in
the South for a winter crop, and
score of improved vegetables have sue
ceeded those which formerly grew in
American gardens.
1t was not many years ago that all
II
was of the Honduran variety. This
was found to be Improbable, and the
rice industry languished perceptibly.
The Department of Agriculture took
the matter up and introduced the ia
pan or Krushu rice, which has created
such a revolution in rice growing as
to eliminate all other varieties. It is
claimed that at least S20,000,000 has
been invested in rice fields in Texas
and Louisiana since the Introduction
of the Japanese grain. 1t yields TWEEN
ty-tiye per cent. more an acre and mills
at least twenty-five per cent. more un-
broken rice than did the Honduran
variety, and has, therefore, increased
the rice production per acre over fifty
per cent The department has long
since given up the rice business to
legitimate business enterprise, for it
is principle governing the introduc-
ton of a new plant that as soon as
variety is found desirable. and is rec
ognized by the seedsmen, the depart
ment wthdraws from the field and
leaves to private enterprise the oppor
tunity of handling the business.
Growing just a short distance from
49, -. 80. ~ e,,r.+-,
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iro, 40 o+,,,i+,. os "a. north as phuc-
dnInhio Tho ore.e FROST of 1SoS in
E1o,.tdo which dasfrovad so many or-
onre crovos sngrastod to Secratarv
wilson +bo oraot odv,o+opas which
,yo,,Id foIIoyv fba discovery of harder
,.o,.ior,, of tl,is fr,,it tbop is nov, CROWN
In +bis oornfr, II ,ros dncidad fo ,,ro-
d,,oa . h,,h,id oronoo crossinr tho
TgIorid, nl,n+ with a Trifoli,+ in tba !
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,bo,,Id ho 1iI,a,,,iso bardr rbo do
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nf +bo,a h,,h,.id ,lon+s II :, zoo COO,
va+ 10 cav, ,vbo+ tho result win he with |
fbo frrit II is no+ haIiovod boweyo,.