The leader., 1905-02-11

One of the most interesting exhibits
at the Corn and Cotton Carnival was
| that Of the cassava plant, the growing
4 Of which is one Of the new industries
4 along the Gulf and Ship Island road,
between Jackson and Gulfport. It is
! cultivated for its starchy root, which
Is used extensively for food and for
stock feed, and for manufacture Of
starch. It Is native of Brazil and is
classified by the department of agri-
culture as a membcr of the milkweed
family However, in appearance, it
has no resemblance to the milkweed,
but when growing might be taken for
a shrub variety Of buckeye. It grows
from twelve to fourteen feet high and
branches repeatedly, making plant
of rare beauty that is both ornamental
| and useful. Prof. S. M. Tracy, special
agent Of the United States depart
mont Of agriculture, bureau of plant
industry, who sent number of fine
specimens Of cassava to the carnival
says:
During the last two years a great
amount of work has been done in q
| study of cassava, especially in attempt
ing to find the most productive va
/ rieties, and also to find varieties which
may extend the possible limit of its
cultivation to localities further north
/ At the present its cultivation is limited
! to Florida and the immediate Gulf
coast, but it is more than possible that,
| by selecting seed from the earliest
maturing sorts, and by continued cul-
| tivation in cooler regions, it's area for
profitable cultivation may be greatly
extended. Up to about two years ago
only two varieties were known in the
United States, though fifty or more
varieties were cultivated in South
| American States. These varieties diff
| fer greatly in the relative proportions
of starch which they contain; some
| having double the amount found in
! others. OF course the varieties having
the greatest percentage of starch in
the roots is the one which Is most
profitable for cultivation. In the work
which we are doing we have secured
a large number of varieties from Porto
| Rico, Jamaica and other tropical coun-
| tries, and now have forty-two distinct
varieties growing on my place in Bi-
loxi.
The principal practical uses of cas-
sava in this country are for the manu-
1 LuSNuA 2 VI SIcti dnQ slOf lGGulLss CdC'
tie and hogs In Florida there are
now three large factories for manu-
featuring starch. which is used mostly
for sizing by the manufacturers of
cotton goods. Excepting in the i'm
mediate region of starch factory the
crop is grown for stock feed, and for
that purpose is growing very popular
| In all the Gulf coast region AS a
feed it takes the place of corn, and as
| its yield is much greater, while expense
for cultivation is about the same, it is
much more profitable.
This season / had forty-two va
rieties growing in Biloxi, and now
| have chemist engaged in making
lianalyses to determine the relative
tvalue of the different sorts. / have
already made arrangements for the i'm
| portation of large number of diff
| ferent varieties from South America,
and propose to follow up the work in
every possible objection until we are.
| able to demonstrate that the crop is
one that may be made profitable in
certain parts of the country-or that
| 1t is worthless We are making no at
tempt to boom it, and we are endeay-
oring to state nothing but demon
strated facts. What we are trying to
do is to learn the real truth regarding
its value. From what we have already
learned we do not hesitate to recon-
mend the crop for nearly all of
Florida, and for many other localities
along the coast But we are not ready
to say how far north it may be grown,
or what may be the best methods for
its treatment. 1t is problem upon
which we are working, but one which
has not as yet been solved.
The Mississippi Worlds Fair Bureau
has wound up its business and gone
out of existence. Over $4,000 of the
$4,000 appropriated has been turned
back into the State treasury as a re-
suit of good financiering on the part
of the bureau. The exhibit was a good
one and well worth the price it cost
the people of the State.
The good old county of Wilkinson,
lying in the extreme southwestern cor
ner of the State, was we'll represented
at the Corn and Cotton Carnival, and
its progressive citizenship manifested
their energy and enterprise in man
hibit was not so large and comprehen-
sive as some, still the quality of prod
ucts shown were well up with any
thing from any section of the State
Centreville was the place from which
the greater part of it emanated, and
the room set apart for its use was well
displayed and made attractive in every
way The most attractive feature of
f1xff x5.41k -
Red Snapper Sauce Company, which IS
domiciled at Centreville, and is a red
hot proposition in more ways than one.
Every conceivable kind of relish, condi-
ment, sauce, etc, was shown in the
greatest profusion. The quality Of the
goods shown was pronounced equal to
anything on the market, and the grand
prize was. awarded them 1t was a
credit, indeed, to the live gentlemen
who constitute the company, and their
efforts will result in substantial benefit
to all concerned. In the large list of
fresh vegetables shown, the new crop
Of Irish potatoes were the best ait the
carnival, and the grand prize was
awarded this exhibit, also. They were
second-crop, and as smooth and perfect
as ever seen in the South. Some ex-
ceptionally fine hay was in this room,
and many were the complimentary ex-
pressions heard concerning IT. It was
q revelation to many that such a
quality could be produced in the State.
New beets Of large size and fine text
ure We're also shown, proving the
claim that in that section it was pos
sible to have vegetables the whole year
round. Canned goods Of varied kinds
were shown and were richly deserving
Of complimentary mention. Wilkinson
county is well adapted to the raising
Of fruits and vegetables. and the can
ming factory is a protection against
loss from any cause Sugar cane Of
splendid proportion composed part of
the exhibit, and also rice, oats and
other farm produce. It was mag
nifcent demonstration Of what can be-
accomplished In our favored land when
the effort Is made. Pity It's that some
Of the teeming thousands Of people III
the crowded East could not have seen