The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-01-06

uuct ranking IN uRVOr with the DeSt
OF the present shipping varieties.
Work has recently been begun to
nnd out remedy for this disease by
Mr.. M. b. Waite, at Orangeburg. but
the work has not advanced sufficiently
to report any results.
For several years the department
has expended annually between s2.-
900 and $4,000 In an investigation of
the possibilities In drug plant cultiva-
ton In South Carolina. These expert
ments are being carried on at present
In cooperation with Mr.. j. w. McCown
at Florence, and Mr.. f. Cottingham.
at Ebenezer. The plants under investi-
CATION are paprika and cayenne pep
pers, castor beans, cascard sagrada
and q number Of other drug plants.
The main emphasis so far has been
laid on the paprika pepper business.
This year (1s0s) the crop of paprika
grown In connection with the South
Carolina experiment totals about 20.-
900 pounds Of dried peppers. which
will probably be marketed before the
close of the year at price of about
III cents per pound to prominent New
York spice grinders.
About three tons Of American worm
seed have been harvested In test
carried on during two seasons, and
this material will not be marketed.
The outlook for the growing OF cay
enne pepper to supply the demand for
the dried and ground product is very
good. and this will be undertaken on
a commercial scale next year.
At the present time the indications
are good for the development in the
country about Florence Of small In
'dustry In connection with the pepper
business. and possibly also In the cult
vation of the castor bean. 1t seems
probable from preliminary expert
ments made with number of other
drug plants which have been grown
there. that the limit OF possibilities of
this section of the country in this d.
rection has not yet been reached. but
can proftably be made the subject of
further investigation.
Work In South Carolina on the pro-
duction Of tea as a commercial propo-
sition has been In progress for num-
her OF years at summerville. and was
undertaken more recently at Rantow-
les. At summerville the department
Is working In connection with DR..
Chas- u. Sheppard. the funds applied
to tea culture at this point having
been greatly diminished during the
current fiscal year (1s0s-09) owing
to the fact that there seems to be
diminishing need for the departments
aid here. Further efforts are now be-
ing directed chiefly toward devising
new types OF machinery for doing
away with the slow and expensive
practice of pruning and picking tea
By hand. Mr. George F.. Mitchell
scientific assistant. representing the
department Ii stationed with DIR. Shep-
pard at Summerville. and besides aid
Ing him In connection with factory
and field management, has designed
during the present year. and is now
perfectig mechanical tea pruner
Mr.. Mitchell Is sending out tea, plants
to farmers In various localities In the
South. who wish to undertake tea
growing for home use. and Is fostering
this work by keeping In touch with
these growers. The total amount
which is being expended by the ma
tional department for tea work in
South Carolina during the current
year is $4,350.
Important work is now being done
IN South aCrolina In the introduction
of the mating sedge culture as a new
farm crop on the rice plantations.
There have been invented In New Eng
land looms which can weave better
quality of floor. mating than any that
Is now made by hand In the, Orient
and imported every year to an amount
Of over five million dollars worth.
For the last three years these looms
have been running on raw material
that is imported from Japan and
China. but the obstacles that have been
put In the way Of the export of this
straw from these countries makes II
impossible for the manufacturers to
continue the making OF these floor
mattings unless the Carolina farmers
can grow on their rice plantations the
straw for the looms. The department
OF agriculture has introduced from
Japan and China large quantities of the