The Washington herald., 1909-05-25
NEW AND UNUSUAL CROPS.
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

II Is estimated by students OF the dif-
ferent branches Of agriculture that the
present crop season in the United States
and Canada viii produce a wider range
Of commercial articles than any previous
summer. AS farming becomes more OF
an exact science. and the average size OF
farms becomes smaller, the agrieulturist
3 looking for new and better-paying
crops. This is particularly true Of the
gardener. the trucker. the florist and the
Iruitgrower.
The Department OF Agriculture is rem
aering great assistance to this movement
for new and more profitable crops. It is
rsnsacking the fora OF the world for
things which may be advantageOUsly in
trodGced here. Its most recent study re-
lates 70 camphOr. japan has long had a
practical monopoly OF the production OF
this staple. which Is as essential in war
as iron OF steel 1t enters into most OF
the high explosives. especially smoke
less powder, used by the army and navy,
and If Japan cut on our supply she might
handicap US seriously in case OF war,
The Bureau Of Plant Industry has in
vesugated the matter and reached the
conclusion that camphor can be grown in
t-a southern part Of the United States
A 3O00-acre tract Of Florida land has
been acquired by the government and
viii be set out n camphor trees. In
Japan il has always been the custom 70
allow the trees 70 grow 70 maturity and
then cut them down. distlling the cam
phor from the logs IN Florida and Texas
the government VIII plant them very
close together, and when the shrubs
reach a height OF about three feet they
viii be cut down with a moving machine
and taken 70 the distillery- A new crop
viii follow in short order.
Peppermint culture IS one OF the most
interesting OF the smar-crOp operations
Michigan is the center OF the pepper
mint-growing region. and the soil where
II Is grown Is so mucSy that the horses
have to be fitted with large wooden shoes
before they can work on il The cost OF
cultivation is about s14 an acre, and the
profit from SIS 10 $50. One farmer has
about 10.030 acres OF land devoted TO the
growing OF peppermint, which is the larg-
est farm OF its kind in the world he
keeps about 80 shOrJ-hOrnei beef cattle,
feeding them peppermint hay in the
winter, which they eat with great relish
when the oil has been pressed from IL
IN 1874 several enterprising New York
eTs concluded they could corner the pep
permint oil market. They sent repre-
sentative 10 England 10 find out how
much oil was needed 10 supply the de-
mand, which was about 12000 pounds a
year Then they went TO the New York
producers and the Ohio growers and paid
them not 10 cultivate peppermint for five
years After this they bought the entire
product OF Michigan al g price mutually
agreed upon. Then they sold peppermint
oil at their own price After three years
some OF the Ohio and New York growers,
seeing how prices had advanced. con-
cIuded that they would break their con-
tracts. The peppermint oil trust did not
attempt 10 prevent their doing so. having
made a profit large enough 10 satisfy its
greed
The growing Of mushrooms IS ore of
the most profitable occupations IN the
world-if the grower thoroughly knows
bis business. The prices range from 70
cents a pound 10 $50. The majority OF
thousand square feet Of beds, but they
make more out Of these than the average
farmer makes from a 2o0-acre farm.
There IS perhaps no other crop in the
United States or Canada which can be
grown with such profit where the con-
ditiOns are favorable. II IS said that the
cave region Of the Shenandoah Valley
and the Blue Grass region Of Kentucky
offer splendid opportunities for mushroom
culture, caves being ideal growing places
for fungi.
Castor bean culture IS cutie a profitable
little industry il some parts OF the South.
Il is from these beans that castor oil is
made Ona OF gumbo is also grown with
profit in the South. Experiments have
been made fl crossing the sand cherry
with plums, and the indications are that
the new hybrid viii make q valuable ac-
QUESTION TO the small fruit garden HoT-
ticulturists regard the sand cherry as the
rlJst promising Of al the native Unde-
veloped fruits The juneberry is another
native which science IS trying 10 domesti-
cate Mankind at large IS fond Of the
huckleberry, and many attempts have
been made 10 persuade Il 10 fOrsake IFS
abiding-place n the woods and noun
tains FOR the fields Of cultivation. but IL
has spurned every attempt Of the plant
trainers 10 tame Il They have now
turned their attention to the juneberry.
and Il promises 20 succeed the huckle-
berry IN the affections OF the people. es-
pecially those IN the treeless regions OF
the country
The avocado, or alligator pear. Is thrfv-
ing well in its new surroundings on
A--o~f-zu soil Z Fs q rro0Fco1 r.7o6
fruit, eaten like the cantaloupe. It grows
luxuTiantly on the isthmus Of Panama,
and the canal diggers regard It as more
than q substitute for the Rocky Ford The
trees planted IN Florida have thrived, end
alligator pear growing promises TO be-
come a profitable business The taste for
L needs e little cultivation, but all con-
nOisseUTs agree that Il makes q delect-
able dish. There is a vast profit in its
production, a single tree producing from
ten 10 sixty pears. with prices as high
as 8 a dozen.
The growing OF medicinal plants is be-
coming a. important occupation Il is
estimated that the American people an
nuaIly import S.0oo0oo worth OF nedIci-
nal plants from Europe. and the bulk OF
this sum might Just as well be kent st
home. Ginseng has long been the favor
ite crop. but the prices were so high that
over-production resulted. At one time
the ginseng growers had 70 burn about
three-fo -fourths OF their crop to keep I'd
prices. China is the principal buyer OF
American ginseng, but Il viii have none
but the wild roots. Consequently, the de-
mand for cultivated ginseng IS very much
smaller than It used 10 be Golden seal
IS suppldntfng ginseng as q successful