The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-16
FROM.
MILK WEED.
a Discovery Likely to Revolt
tioiize the Dairy Business
Of the World.
WONDERFUL EXPERIMENTS
Virginia Man, Associated With
Old World Scientists, Make
Wonderful Discoveries.

Special TO The Times. Dispatch.)

lllAEhEH%s EaL.el HU-.H HttaNI
Especial TO The Times ispatch.)
MOHitlSv1LL11. VA, Oct. 16.-Discov-
cries have recently been made in agricul-
tural science on tho estate Of Captain
Penberton ~I1oneybraIn, near this place.,
that promises to completely revolution
lie the beef and dairy interests OF the
world. For a proper understanding Of
the manner In which these remarkable
discoveries were made a slight glance at
the personalities Of the principals In
the case Is an absolute necessity.
The upland rart OF Captain Honey.
brains estate. situated about a mile
from Morrisville, fronting on one OF the
main travelled roads. Is a chocolate coll
ored soil, Very light and very productive
when properly cultivated. But the es-
tate's greatest wealth is TO be found In
the deep. rich, loamy bottom land that
lies along Manuel's Run, and seems to
possess peculiar characterlstics that es-
pecially adapt 1t for bringing the most
delicate organisms OF plant life to the
highest possible state OF development.
Manuel's Run traverses the northern
edge OF this estate for nearly a mile
then sweeps across the western portion,
and 1t Is In the inconceivably rich allu-
vial soil lying along It's banks that the
agricultural science OF the twentieth cer-
fury has achieved Its greatest %trlunpns.
Captain Honeybrain Is one OF the mos,
enthusiastic agriculturists that ever
lived. He is aman that will neglect a
whole crop OF deld cprn on a possible
chance Of producing an improved variety
OF sweet corn.
It Is said that when he was a small
lad and before he felt the responsibility
OF looking after the estate hat his IA
Their left him. he conducted a. series of
experiments that extended over a period
of several years on a piece Of land curs-
ed with sassafras, to determine the best
method Of discriminating this pest. This
piece of.gland ,Yas divided into sixteen
plots. and as many different methods OF
destroying these undesirable bushes were
tried. and from these experiments two
methods were eminently successful and
were put into practical use by his fa-
ther.
Captain Honeybraln goes into every
thing Slnat ne taxes mold OF with an en-
thusiasm that almost assures success.
Tall. we'll quilt and commanding looking;
In fact, OF such static and SO impos-
ing IL he that IL IS said by the men
who served under him in the Spanish
war that the bullet which struck Colo
mel Roosevelt on the finger in the fight
Ing around Santiago was really aimed at
Captain H%oneybrain.
WONDERFUL EXPERIMENTS.
AT a convention OF dairymen, held in
Copenhagen in March, 1901, Captain
gH%oneybratn met Or. Maurice De Ruyter,
Professor of Agricultural Chemistry in
University of Dorfzijl, Dr.. Dc Ruy-
ter had for several years been experi-
menting with the asclepias lactefera, or
dinarlly known as milk weed. to see II
1t were not possible by cultivation and
n careful system Of selection similar to
that used in producing the modern SUI
gar beet, to produce from al Improved
variety OF milkweed, milk and butter
that In color, taste, and consistency
would colnpar fayorably with the real
article produced by the COW, and at an
Infinitely reduced cost.
The Dutch government finally became
alarmed, lest a successful outcome OF
DIR. De Ruyter's experiments might In
jure Hollands vast dairy interests and
absolutely prohibited any further work
along these lines. DIR. De Ruyter brought
the subject UP in conversation with Cap.
tain Honeybrain,s discussed papers pre-
pared by C.. II. Schultz. Of Berlin. in 1895,
and by DIPPED and Hansteen in 1883
calling attention to the tubular and Of
ten ramltted canals of many plants con-
tanning a milky juice. Captain Honey.
brain spoke OF the prorusion In which
the mllkweed grows In this section, the
use by the Indians OF Its sweet coplous
milk and invited Dr.. De Ruyter to re-
turn with him and continue his expert
ments on his estate where he would also
have the advantage Of his extensive and
thorough laboratories.
DR.. DE Ruyter as&unable to accept
Captain Honeybraln's generous offer for
himself. but after somo CORES pondence
he succeeded in Interesting Professor
Bugwater, of Cornell. In his investiga-
lions. who agreed to put Hideyo Tashi-
mari In Captain H~oneybrain's laboratories
on a series OF researches and expert.
ments as outlined by Dr.. Do Ruyter.
Hideyo Tashinari, q graduate OF Cor
nell. had also studied under Jichinichi.
tho great Japanese pathologlst, who, In
1899, worked out the life history and
synonymy of the tea leaf blight, and nam
ed 1t bacillus scaremall. Tashinarl was
then horticulturlst and pathologist Of the
ISN y Nv =
C.orea, but he gave this work up to en-!
ter what promised to be a more extended
field OF usefulness.
BUTTER FROM MlLKWEEp.
For over three years Professor TashI-
mari has labored continuously, devoting
all his time and energygt to give a practl-
cal value to the thee ies Of DIR. De Ruy-
ter and at last they lave reaped tho
reward that comes to all who persevere-
success. They are now producing In the
laboratories OF Captain Honeybrain from
the milk OF a. cultivated aud improved
Variety OF milkweed, With the addition
OF Is per cent of cows milk. q butter that
cannot be distinguished from the best
dairy butter, The variety originated by
Professor rashinari is not as hardy as
the common mllkweed. still, as most or
the soil about here produces the latter
variety abundantly there is little cues
ton but that the farmers can be inter-
ested IN this new industry. and the day
Is probably not far distant When this
section will be one OF the worlds great
butter producing centers, The greatest