The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-11-01
WEALTH IN WEEDS.
Profitable Field Which the Americas
Farmer Is NeglectfI y.

Farmer Is NeglectfI q.
have often wondered, says Secre-
tary of Agriculture Wilson, why some
of our wideawake and resourceful
farmers have not gone in for drug
plant cultivation. The United States
last year bought S64,000,000 worth of
drugs and dyes and nearly every dol
lars 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.
Some Of the experts of the Depart.
men 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 pro-
duced facts calculated to encourage the
cultivation on large scale of shrubs
and weeds which are now looked upon
as worthless and troublesome. while in
reality they possess great value if prop
erly treated.
In fact, the average farmer has rich
es lying unnoticed about his fields in
the shape of noxious weeds, which in
stead of being. utilized, remain to in
cumber the land and .mpoverish the
owner. The value of certain of these
native drug plants has been recognized
by some collectors with the result that
they have been well nigh exterminated
Belladopna 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 government
for about four years. and it 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 desir-
able that they should not be allowed to
become too woody before digging. They
are cut and cured. The cultivation of
belladonna on a commercial scale has
been taken up successfully during the
past two years by an American fro
using this drug.
At the present time small but
growing market exists in this country
for ground paprIka pepper, prepared
from the pods of a slender fruit 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 Ebenezer,
s. c. Three acres grown during the
last season have yielded between 1900
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 100000 pounds of pepper, valued
at more than $4.000,O00 The govern
ment experts say that this entire de-
mand can be met by American pro-
ducts provided proper attention is Civ.
en- to the business.
Ii the advice of the plant specialists
Of the government be followed many
new industries may be established on
land that Is now considered worthless.
| Weeds regarded as nuisances, which
may be found along the wayside, In
fence corners, and waste places, con-
tain valuable drugs. Among these are
the so-called American wormseed.
which is used as a vermifuge. Some
land in Florence, s. c., was devoted to
the cultivation of this weed and yield
ed 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 If cultivated this ungainly III
smelling weed will pay better than
wheat and other staple crops. Poke root
has commercial value. and on the
shelves of the apothecaries it is labeled
Phytolacea Americana. Burdock, and
| yellow dock roots are now imported be-
cause no American farmer takes the
trouble to dig and send them to mar
ket
Among the wild drug plants now rap.
] idly disappearing are seneca snake root
md purple conefiower. This drug has
some into special prominence in the
last few years and is much in demand.
an increasing foreign consumption be-
Ing noted in addition to the quantity
i naeaScarx tn satisfy hnf1o dam nds