The St. Louis Republic., 1904-06-26
.o6zE. EA4rMWa.AW RERyX4i

the tropical fruits to see what will grow
there, and I think it is fair 10 say that
that island will some time he the tropical
fruit garden of the United States. Il Is not
far from New York, and the shipping IA
cilities will grow better and better. one
of the fruits which we are introducing IN
to Porto Rico IS the mango. We are Scour-
| ing the world for the best varieties ana
are planting them in various parts Of
| Porto Rico. / don't know that you realize
that there is as much difference in man
goes as there is in peaches and apples. !
have seen some in East Africa as large as
a small cantaloupe. finely favored and de
licious. There is a mango with very thin
seeds grown in the Philippines. and there
are other mangOeS with different uaVOTS
in other parts of the tropics few years
ago bananas were no more common IN
the United States than they are now in
Germany. MangoeS will some day be
eaten all over this country. 1t is not true
as has been stated. that the fruit has so
much juice that the only place one can
eat 1t is in the bathtub.
Another fruit which we are setting out
in Porto Rico IS the mangOSteen, which
grows in the East Indies, and which is the
delight of all travellers. We shall have
large quantity of trees planted and hope
that the arrangements VIII he Such that
the fruit can be exported to the American
cities. l have kept mangosteens three
weeks on a steamer, and in cOld storage
chambers they could be preserved fTesh
for a month. 1t is only about four days
from San Juan TO New York, and there Is
no reason why the fruit could not be
shipped from one place TO the other'
SALTED ALMONDS.
"Are we doing anything in nut culture?"
YES" said Mr.. Fairchild. Il spent some
time year or so ago looking for almonds
that might be successfully grown in Cal
ifornia and similar regions. l found that
| the Jordan almond was the best variety
for the salted or burnt almonds which
are served on our dinner tables. We are
now spending a million and one-haif DOL
lars annually for such almonds and the
demand is rapidly increasing. This Jor-
dan almond grows In the mountaihouS
that country and brought back great lot
of scions from bearing trees. These were
sent by the Agricultural Department. 10
California and used to bud and graft thou-
sands of young trees there. Some or the
trees are already producing, and the prop
ability is that we shall grow all We need.
These Jordan almonds have hard sheilS.
The women and children of the Spanish
mountain villages crack nuts ana take ouI
the kernels for shipment. When they are
thoroughly introcued here cracking ma
chimes will do this work. ,,,,
Another nut which we are introducing
said Mr.. Fairchid. as the cashew nut,
which grows in different parts OF 3I[IG,i r,si
and elsewhere. 1t Is served roasted and
will some day be far more liked than the
peanut is now l think the cashew tree
can be grown in Porto Rico. Gan,
BAMBOO TREES FOR UNCLE sam
zone of the most important projects IN
this line" continued Mr.. Fairchld, is the
Introduction of the japanese bamboo for
the Gulf States. Florida and Southern
Texas. We have imported thousands OF
bamboos and have placed them in the
hands of a few selected men, VINO, IL IS
thought. viii be capable of handling them
We hope that commercial groves of bam-
boo timber can be grown throughout the
South, and they will be as profitable there
as they are in Japan
Give me some idea of the bambopS oil
japan and the money in them l asked
1T would take book to tell the story,
said Mr.. Fairchild. There are many va
rieties. used for all sorts of purposes me
bamboo, you know, is a giant grass, WhlCh
grows not only in the tropics, but also IN
the upper regions of the Andes and Hlma-
layas which are covered with deep snow
in the winter The plant is found almost
everywhere in the Philippines, and the dlt-
ferent varieties may be introduced into
Porto Rico and Hawaii. Some OF the pam
boos have edible shoots. which look like
giant asparagus sprouts and may ne
cooked and eaten in the same way. Ihey
are delicious vegetable and VIII some
day have a place in the American mar
ket. Other bamboos are grown entirely
for the timber and for use in manufactur-
ing. 1 think the timber species can be
grown along the YaZOO River in M!ssis-
sippi, and that they would be a very val
Are bamboos cultivated?" I asked,
Eyes, the japanese treat them with all |
the care of other field crops. They set
them out in orchards or groves, taking 2
harvest of poles in August or later. OF
to the acre. and more than thou
sand culms or stalks can be marketed
from them every year. The plants are
usually set out about twelve feet apart
and the first stalks cut when the grove is
about four years old.
Give me some idea of the profits of
bamboo raising"
Japan" said Mr. Fairchild. and as far as
could learn the business pays very well
there. Doctor Shga of the japanese Bu-
SNfE tr~t-f toll T1nn "a m
was one of the best crops of the country, |
often yielding $50 gold per acre; OF this |
20 per cent came from the edible shoots. |
Another japanese who raised BAMBOO TIM |
ber told me he was annually making about !
$40 per acre out of his land, and near |
Kiota heard of men who were making |
as much as $50 per acre. Prices rise and |
fall from year to year, About five years |
ago some of the planters who were rails |
ing groves of black bamboo were realizing |
800 per acre. They are now netting |
about $50
'The bamboo" continued Mr. Fairchild, |
'js the most indispensable of all trees in |
the far East. 1t is used for everything un- |
der the sun. 1t forms the building material. |
the furniture wood. the kitchen utensils, !
the water pipes. and in some places the |
floors and rafters of the houses 1t is used |
brellas. It largely takes the place of iron !
and wire and of many other things. Here |
We import millions every year. 1t would |
indeed be a valuable addition to our tim |
Der CROP
JAPAN'S PAPER PLANT.
The conversation here turned to the jap |
anese paper plants which are now being |
brought to the United States. The Japa-
nese make the finest papers of the world. |
They have some which look like silk, so /
strong that a large sheet will support the /
weight of the average man. They have /
the finest of tissue papers, some of which |
are imported by opticians for wiping
lenses and glasses. and the dentists all |
over the country dry out the cavities in
teeth preparatory to filling them with gold |