The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-10-13

!mpc:tat:ons Help Farmers-Ezped d.
tions Sent Abroad by the Agricul
turaI Department Have Resulted il
Rich Gain to the United States.
Many rare and valuable seeds and
plants from foreign lands have beer,
secured for the United States daring
the last decade by the Agricultural
Department. These imDortations are
now OF the greatest value to farmers
and fruit growers.
The first expedition to gather for
ielsn products systematically for home
growth started out in 1898 and cruised
among the West indies and along both
coasts OF South America and as re-
suit OF the trip the brown Peruvian
| cotton vas brought to the attention OF
our cotton growers. 1t is OF chocolate
color, and is used in the adulterattcn
Of wocl. Its unusual feature is =
smooth seed requiring only a role.
gin.
The expedition then went to E.'i-
rope where some important finds were
Sweden and Finland, among them the
Finnish black oats which now thrive
we'll in Alaska and have proven the
best grain tested for growth In the.
northern colony Of the United States.
Egypt was visited and the wonderful
berseem sent to Washington for dis
tribution as a forage plant among our
arid States. Later the western coast
of Asia, the home of the date, was
thoroughly over-hauled, and date
suckers were obtained and shipped to
the United States where they are now
growing in Arizona. Agriculturists
prophesy that the southwest will be-
come a great date-gro*ing district.
SeedIess Grapes from Italy.
This successful venture encouraged
another tour in 1902. The Suitanina
seedless grape was sent in FROM
Italy. and the Huasco seedless ra.sin
grape proved another find. The best
mailing barley in the worl. Gas dis
covered growing at an Ole town in
Moravia; introduced under the name |
OF Hanna barley, it has already !
proven of value to the regions where |
1t is grown, especially on the Pacific |
coast. it is not only earlier, but heav-
ier yielding than any other barley.
A study of the European hops found
them to be superior to our own, and |
theI importation was undertaken ly |
the Agricultural Department. The
also came across deli |
cate kind of korse radish known as
the 'maliner krem" near the histori
cal village Of Kuttenburg in Moravia
whose quality is SO fine that the gour-
NETS of Vienna insist upon having it
with their meats. Small test
patches of this variety are now grow
ing at different places in this country.
The Jordan almond the finest va
'iety in the world, was found in
Spain, and at once recognized as far
superior to the almond produced in
'ur own country, SO a supply was i'm
nediately secured and shipped.
The hardy bamboos OF Japan ar
'ested the attention of the expedition.
md they are now being tested in Cal
fornia and the Gulf States, since they
ire valuable because of the ornamen-
al uses to which they can be put A
lew bean was sent home from Chill.
GreciaR bean turned up which is
'ut little larger than rice, and is de-
lcious; third bean, the broad bean
f Europe. has been pronounced the
most delicious vegetable ever eaten
A product which is thought may re.
ult in the establishment OF a new in
ustry here Is the Japanese paper
liant (Mitsumata), out of which is
manufactured the finest handmade
ellum. This is the source of the vel
I'm about which the Japanese have
ways been extremely reticent
promising barley was found in
.lgiers which is being tried in our
rid southwest; and new wheat
anne to hand in Italy from which the
nest macaroni is made, and which is
elieved to be superior to the maca- i
oni wheat we have heretofore been
nporting from Russia for this new 3
merican industry.
The Department Of Agriculture has
ade it rule that until any product J
determined to be practical fo- {
rowth in the United States. it will t
ot be sent out as specimen.-Pnll- |
lelphia Record. h