The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-03-18
TESTING DESERT GRASSES
A VARIETY USEFUL FOR PAPER
MAKING WILL BE GROWN.
Seed Brought From the Great Sahara
Desert Are Carefully Protect
ed i'm a Safe

ed in a Safe.
Carefully protected in the safe of
one of the business houses Of Los
Angeles repose two small sacks OF
grass seed upon which are based
hopes of great things, says the Los
Angeles Times. The sacks contain
alta seed from the great Sahara des-
ert They may be the forerunner
of an important paper-making indus
try in southern California.
The alta seeds were sent by Pro-
lessor David Fairchild of the bureau
of plant industry, United States de-
partment of agriculture, to j. G.
Conrad of Los Angeles, who had be-
come interested in the possibilities
of raising this grass on the desert
lands of southern California and Ari-
iona for paper-making. 1t was neces-
sary to send to Africa for the seeds,
and the small consignment recently
received will be carefully planted for
experiment work
One portion of the seed will go
to Daggett, in the heart of the desert,
on the Santa Fe railway. There it
will be planted on the ranch of T.
S. Van Dyke, one of the pioneer des
ert ranchers, who has attained much
success in propagating various
growths suited to arid districts.
Another portion will be planted at
Mecca, on lands owned by Frank r.
Strong, and the third allotment goes
to !, 81 IN, = %, l,,11
valley, where Mr.. Conrad believes
conditions of the higher levels are
very similar to those to be found in
the native soil of the alta grass.
On account of the constantly di-
minishing supply of material for pa
per-making Mr.. Conrad became inter
ested in the possibilities of growing
alta grass on California; arid lands.
His attention was attracted by brief
statement made in one of Frank G.
Carpenters letters to the Times.
Mr.. Carpenter, writing from Benz
Oumif, in the Sahara desert, 400
miles south of the Port of Oran, says
of the alta:
81 have been passing through a !
great plain of yellow, sandy soil, COW
cred here and there with stones and
spotted everywhere with punches of |
the dry alta grass.
The alta was growing right in the |
sands. 1t is a long, why grass, |
which is gathered by the thousands |
of tons and shipped to Europe for the |
of paper. 1t is cut by the
Arabs, and there are companies with
immense capital which handle it, 1t |
To ha hnJ obt Of ir+ ;,,
punches, some of which are not big
ger than ones fist, while others
sprout out of mounds which would
fill a half bushel measure. 1t looks
tough and dry, but nevertheless large
flocks of sheep, goats and camels
feed upon it.
1t is possible, if the experiments
in the growth of the alta grass in the
Coachella and Imperial valleys and
on the MOhave desert, in San Ber-
nadine county, prove a success that
paper mills will be erected in south
ern California to handle. the product,
as it is claimed that the material
makes a paper of superior quality
which will command top prices. The
material is especially suitable for
high grade book papers.
The leaves of the alta grass are
from eighteen inches to two feet in |
length. They have the popularity |
of breaking off at the base, so that |
they are gathered by the exertion Of |
a steady pull, after which they are
sorted according to their color and |
length and tied in bundles for ex-
portation. About $1,O00000 worth |
of the grass is exported annually
from Algeria, and the constantly in
creasing shortage of raw material
for the manufacture of paper makes
a permanent field for the crop