Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-26
Possibilities Are Great, but Not De-
yeloped Vet,

"GNL "EEbOs'
Possibilities Are Great, but Not De.
veloped Yet.
BY and by the farmer will be, as he
always ought to be, one Of the best
educated men.
II have often wondered" remarked
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson the
other day. "why some Of our wide
awake and resourceful farmers have
not gone in for drug plant cultivation.
The United States last year bought
$64,000,000 worth of drugs and dyes
and nearly every dollars worth Of this
material could have been secured from
plants and weeds grown in the United
States. A large and promising field
here has been neglected by our people
Now Looked on as Worthless.
Some Of the experts Of the depart
ment of agriculture have been investi-
eating the question of the extent to
which drugs now imported from abroad
at high prices may be grown in the
United States. Their studies have
"roduced facts calculated to encourage
the cultivation on large scale OF
shrubs and weeds which are now look
ed upon as worthless and troublesome,
while in reality they possess great
value IL properly treated.
In fact, the average farmer has
riches lying unnoticed about his fields
in the shape of noxious weeds, which,
instead Of being utilized, remains to
incumber the land and impoverish the
owner. The value Of certain of these
native drug plants has been recog-
nized by some collectors with the re-
suit that they have been well nigh ex-
terminated.
BeIladonna For Instance.
Belladonna is standard drug, wide
ly used, and a very considerable sum
is paid annually for the products of
this plant. Experiments with BELLA
donna have been in progress at the
Washington gardens of the govern
ment for about four years, and 1t has
been found to do well In good garden
soil. After the first year the roots
become valuable, and may be dug in
the late autumn or early spring. 1t
is desirable that they should not be
allowed to become too woody before
digging. They are cut up and cured.
The cultivation OF belladonna on a COM
mercial scale has been taken up sue
cessfully during the last two years by
an American firm using this drug.
Ground Paprika Pepper.
At the present time small but
growing market exists in this country
for ground paprika pepper, prepared
from the pods Of a slender plant grown
especially In Hungary. This product
is imported in both the whole and the
ground condition, chiefly in the. latter
state. During the last two seasons
small experimental paintings have
been made by the government at Ebe-
nezer, s. c. Three acres grown dur
ing the last season have yielded be-
tween 5000 and $500 pounds of dried
pepper pods, for which profitable
price has been received. In spite OF
the fact that the ripe fruit was picked
weekly and cured out in a tobacco
barn over artificial heat, the profits
resulting have been satisfactory
There was imported last year 3,500,000
pounds Of pepper, valued at more thiLn
$4,000.000. The government experts
say that this entire demand can be
met by American products provided
proper attention is given to the busi-
ness.
American Wormseed.
If the advice of the plant special
lists Of the government be followed
many new industries may be estab-
lished on land that Is now considered
worthless. Weeds regarded as nui-
sances, which may be found along the
wayside, in fence corners and waste
places, contain valuable drugs. Among
these are the so-called American
wormseed, which Is used as a vermi-
fuge. Some land in Florence, s. c..
was devoted to the cultivation Of this
weed and yielded 500 pounds to the
acre. The crop gave a better return
acre for acre, than cotton on the same
kind of land for the same season.
The despised jimpson weed supplies
drug dealers with both leaves and
seeds. II cultivated this ungainly, ILL
smelling weed will pay better than
wheat and other staple crops. Poke
root has commercial value, and on
the shelves Of the auothecaries 1t Is
labeled Pytholaca American L. Bur-
dock and yellow dock roots are now
imported because no American far
mer takes the trouble to dig and send
them to market.
Among the wild drug plants now
rapidly disappearing are sellaca snake
foot and purple conefiower. This drug
has come into special prominence In
the last few years and Is much In de-
mand, an increasing foreign consump-
ton being noted in addition to the
quantity necessary to satisfy home de-
mands. Although formerly an easy
drug to obtain at reasonable prices
echinacea has become increasingly rare
during the last few years, with con-
sequent raise in prices. The trans
planted plants at Washington are
making very promising growth and the
outlook for successful cultivation is
good.