The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-06-04
FUEL OF THE FUTURE
Secretary Wilson Believes II WIN
Be Alcohol.
HOW THE GOVERNMENT HELPS
AerasuIturaI Department Finding end
Distributing Best Alcohol Yielding
PIants-coaI, Wood and oil viii De
Exhausted, eays ire Secretary.

EAhausteop 0@SS Nts ~SeFSNAFys
Secretary Of Agriculture Wilson
spoke before the Americas club in
Pittsburg, Pa, the other night on the
work and scope OF the department Of
agriculture, says q special dispatch 70
the New York Herald. His speech was
listened to with interest, and II gave
to many Of his hearers q clearer notion
than they had ever had OF the wide
Famiflcations Of the department and
value OF ifs researches to the American
farmer.
Mr.. Wilson argued that the most
successful farming was carried on by
the men who knew most about the soil,
the plant. the animal and the market
and told how the national government
operates to spread this intelligence in
fields where the state or the Individual
IN unable to DO the work.
mo more coal IL being made" said
Secretary Wilson. "Our wood fuel II
getting scarce. and the supply Of min
eral oils will some day cease. 1t II
high time we were looking about for
sources Of light, heat and power. 9th
or countries ars doing this. Alcohol
meets the requirements, and starchy
plants yield alcohol. One OF our en-
plorers last year found the siboEians
at Tomak growing a large variety Of
potato for the alcohol yields. He
brought back half ton Of them. which
will be distributed this spring among
the experiment stations.
''The southern caaaava, yams and
sweet potatoes win yield alcohol, aa
will the sugar best. Corncobs give
eleven gallons OF alcohol TO the ton
and sweet cornstalxs seven. Many refs
use plants win be used and much I'M
marketable fruit and vegetable matter.
The farm In ready 10 supply heat. light
and power when other sources fan.
MANY localities In the west suffer
for fuel IN winter when storms are
severe or cars are scarce. We have
legislation to permit the making Of al
cohol without payment Of taxes when
mixed with something 10 prevent itp
haps. The time In surely coming when
the people remote from wood. coal or
oil VIII arrange 10 grow plants rich In
starch for their supply Of light. heat
and power.
ssThe present inquiry 10 along the
lines OF economical production, an In
all new enterprises. The cornstAlks OF
the corn belt that are not used for fod-
der would make very large quantities
Of alcohol, which would DO extracted
and the refuse returned to the soil or
ganic matter, alcohol not being q fer
tillzer. The department OF agriculture
Il experimenting along this line and
also with regard 10 new devices for
burning this new fuel"
Mr., Wilson spoke OF the depart
ment'a successful efforts TO introduce
the eamphOr trOe, with the result that
the oriental camphor monopoly II about
20 DO broken and eamphor viii be pro
dueed In the south and west.
Referring 10 the pFe-eminent impOr-
lance Of cotton a. the money crop OF
this land. Mr.. Wilson said:
AT ons time It was thought the
whole important Haa island cotton In
dustry would DO swept away by q die.
ease. The departments experts enter
Cd the field. developed a disease resist
ant cotton by breeding and selection
and re-established the industry. In all
the south where the boil wOsvil u now
working the department "a striving 10
secure varieties that win be 30 early
as to produce crops despite the wesvil.
We are succeeding In this and are dis
trihuting new types Of cotton superior
10 those already ID existence and which
win mature ahead Of the weevil.
''one Of the greatest lines Of propa-
ganda work the department IL carrying
on IL In the south in connection with
the cotton boll weevil. when the wee
VII invaded the country the cotton
growers were discouraged, and II was
necessary to rally them. This was
done by extensive systems Of demon
stration work. The farmer Il shown
how b grow cotton despite tho weevil.
how 10 rotate the crops, how to Inn
prove his land and how 70 surround his
home with better conditions generally.
Last year the department was working
along this line with more than 100000
farmers In the states Of Texas and
Louisiana alone, and this year the num-
bar win be Increased
'sThese farmers arO being taught how
b maintain the fertility % the land by
the use Of legumes, to grow corn. 10
Keep animals and at the same time
produce cotton. We aro endeavoring
70 show them that they can produce
just as much cotton on half the land
now In nae. dsvoting the other half 10
crops which win bring them ready
money and which win not dsplsts tia
soil"