The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-05-04
FUEL OF THE FUTURE
Secretary Wilson Believes It Win
Be Alcohol.
HOW THE GOVERNMENT HELPS

HOW THE GOVERNMENT HELPS
Agricultural Department Finding and
Distributing Best Alcohol Yielding
Plants-Coal, Wood and Oil Will Be
Exhausted, Gays the Secretary.
Secretary Of Agriculture Wilson
spoke before the Americas club in
Pittsburg, Pa, the other night on the
work and scope OF the department Of
agrlculturc, says a special dispatch to
tho New York Herald. Ills speech was
listened to with interest, and 1t gave
to many Of his hearers a clearer notion
than they had ever had Of the wide
ramidcations Of the department and
value Of its 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
Il unable to do tho work.
mo moro coal Is being made" said
Secretary Wilson. "Our wood fuel is
getting scarce, and the supply Of min
oral oils will some day cease. 1t Is
high time we were looking about for
sources Of light, heat and power. 9th
or countries are doing this. Alcohol
meets the requirements, and starchy
plants Yield alcohol. One Of our ex-
plorerS last year found the -Siberians
at Tomsk growing 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 cnssava, yams and
sweet potatoes will yield alcohol. as
will the sugar beet. Corncobs give
eleven gallons OF alcohol to the ton
ana sweet cornstalks seven. Many ref
use plants Will be used ard much un-
marketable fruit and vegetable matter.
The farm is ready to supply heat, light
and power when other sources fail
"Many localities In the west suffer
Tor fuel In winter when storms are
severe or cars are scarce. We have
to permit the making of al
cohOl without payment Of taxes when
mixed with something to prevent its
use as q beverage, wood alcohol, per-
hapA The time n surely coming when
the people remote from wood. coal or
oil win arrange 10 grow plants rich in
starch for their supply Of light, heat
and power.
Tho present inquiry Is along the
lines Of economical production, as In
all new enterprises. The cornstalks Of
the corn belt that are not used for fod-
der would make very large quantities
" alcohol. which would be extracted
and the refuse returned to the soil or
used for feed to maintain necessary or
gAnlc matter, alcohol not being q fer
dli1er. The department Of agriculture
b experimenting along this line and
llso with regard to new devices for
burning this new fuel"
MI. Wilson spoke Of the depart
nent's successful efforts to introduce
he camphor tree, with the result that
he oriental camphor monopoly Is about
10 be broken and camphor will be pro-
luced In the south and west
Referring to the pre-eminent impor.
lance Of cotton as the money crop of
his land. Mr.. Wilson said:
AT one time It was thought the
whole important Sea island cotton In
1ustry would be swept away by dis
BASE. The departments experts enter
I'd the field. developed q disease resist
INT cotton by breeding and selection
Ind re-established the industry. In all
he south where the boil weevil Is now
the department Is striving to
secure varieties that will be so early
Ii to produce crops despite the weevil
We are succeeding In this and are dis
Eributing new types Of cotton superior
10 those already In existence and which
will mature ahead of the weevil.
Zone Of the greatest lines Of propa-
yanda work the department is carrying
IN is In the south In connection with |
he cotton boil weevil. When the wee |
II invaded the country the cotton
growers were discouraged, and 1t was
to rally them. This was
lone by extensive systems OF demon
tration work. The farmer Is shown |
low to grow cotton despite the weevil,
low to rotate the crops, how to i'm
,rOve his land and how to surround his L
lome with better conditions generally.
1ast year tho department was working |
long this line with more than 100000 |
armers In the states Of Texas and |
louisiana alone, and this year the mum
,er will be increased.
these farmers are being taught how
o maintain ths fertility Of the land by
he use of legumes. to grow corn, to
,eep animals and at the same time
'roduce cotton. We are endeavoring
. show them that they can produce
ust as much cotton on half the land
low In use, devoting the other half to
rops which will bring them ready
money and which will not deplete the
OIL"
Museum For Music.
Vienna will shortly possess n museum
devoted to music. In the
modern world at least no city could be
- knl,V cHa.o, &c. 49,, ,,,,, /