The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-03-11

JdDaIl0St IAuSh VIZ
Floor mating to the value of several
millions of dollars Is annually in
ported into the United States Ironi
China and Japan. Most OF this mat
ting. and all of the better graoes' Is
made from rush cultivated in the rice
lands of China and Japan and is a Kin
Of rotation with the rice crops
The facilities for flooding and drain
ing the rice fields are utilized in
applying water at the right time TO
the crops of rushes. The alienation
of crops tends to KEEP up he fertility
of the soil and to improve its condl-
lions for the production of both.
In all section of the United Statss
can be found thousands of acres On
which is growing rush in large guam
titles. This rush cannot be used sue
ceSsfully in the manufacture OF NAV
ting. Experiments have been made
but the stalks are very brittle and alSo
vary SO much in size that all attempts
at manufacturing mating out of ma
tive grown rush has proven a failure.
Ii a soil and the roper climatic con-
ditions could be found in the United
states where the Japanese variety of
the rush could be cultivated it would
eventually prove to be an enormous
industry. The Japanese rush is only ex-
ported in small quantities as the ex-
port duty is extremely nigh. This be-
ing the case the Japanese mating used
in this cou--Fy IL extremely nigh IN
price. but there is no comparison
to it and the ordinary grades of mat
ting to be found in the majority of the
furniture stores throughout the coun-
try.
A prominent business man of Ibis
city was in Massachusetts recently and
visited the only factory in the United
States where mating is manufactured
of the japanese rush. He learned
the conditions under which the rush
vas raised and he at once conceived
the idea that the rush could be raised
in the vacinity of Wilmington, n. c.
He took tie matter up with the United
States depar1,nent of agriculture and
the consequence was Mr.. Lyster e.
Dewey, botanist IL charge OF nDre
plants, United States department or
Agriculture, was sent hele Ior the pur-
pose of making arrangements win
some OF the rice FOR making
experiments in the cultivation or the
japanese rush. Mr.. Dewey reached
here Monday n returned to WASH
ington last night. While here he made
arrangements with several farmers In
this vacinity to make the desired eX-
periments. These experiments will ot
course be on a limited scale.
The conditions of soil and climate so
far as can be determined are very
similar TO those where the best rush
Is produced in Asia. The result Of the
experiments to be made will be
Watched with great interest and 4
they prove successful it will mean
to this section OF North Caro-
lima.
Last year a representative from ths
United States department of agriCul-
ture. visited several points along he
Atlantic coast to secure specimens #
the native rushes and Information In |
regard to the location of areas of thel
most promising kinds. Some very good
samples were secured but were found
inferior to the rush cultivated In ASIA. |
Asia. (
The Japanese plant grows from pc |
renniai root stalk which emain alive |
year after year, sending up new
shoots each season. In its wild stl-e |
it is propagated by seeds as we'll as
root stalks, but in It is |
propagated exclusively by the root
stalks or roots as they are more
commonly called. These are set out
like strawberry plants, about 6 inches
apart in the moist soil of the rice fields
after new shoots have begun to grow,
the land is flooded and the water IS
kept on most of the time until the crop
Is ready to harvest six months later.
The water is then turned OF and the
fields allowed to dry for two weeks be-
fore the rush is cut. The crop re-
ceives no attention other than irrisa-
ton.
The method employed in weaving
the mating in China and Japan Is
very primitive. The mating is WOW
en- in a machine. but it takes four men
to each machine, and the blades are
placed in the machine one at a time.
The man who owns the MaSSachu-
sets factory after several years OF
study and making numerous expert
ments has invented a machine that
will weave the same grade of mating
and one man can u four machines
The Chinese and Japanese mating is
different to the extent that the jap
anese mating is made out of the solid
blade of the rush whereas in China
the reeds are split. The price of the
Japanese mating is go cents per yard.
Scientific Fire Fighting.