The Ocala evening star., 1910-04-12
Az 0g'e!YAI IDFA
Wishes to Import HippOpofamuses
to Destroy Water Hyacinths

w ton, ApFIl H. HS
and harbors appropriation bill. which
in all probability will be reported to
the senate this week. will carry be-
tween forty-eight and fifty millions of
dollars and in many ways gives prom
ise of being the most scientifically pre-
pared bill which the committees of the
two houses, dealing with the rivers
and harbors of the United States. have
ever reported In addition to liberal
appropriations for the larger projects,
it will carry some interesting items
affecting the smaller rivers Of the
United States, which are sought to be
improved for the benefit of the COM
munities along their courses, and it
will carry in the neighborhood of S75,-
900 fer the destruction of the water
hyacinths which grow 1uxuriantly in
some of the streams of the south, seri-
ously interfering with navigation.
These hyacinths originally came from
Florida. When New Orleans had its
exposition in 1ss4-5 the water hya-
cinth was brought from Florida and
sold as curiosity to visitors attend
ing that exposition. They were plant
ed in the states of Louisiana and Texas
and so rapid was their growth that
instead of being decorative plant
they have almost become a curse to
the people living along southern wa
ters, particularly in the bayous of the
Pelican state.
Congress man Broussard of Louisi-
ana, whose efforts looking to the de-
Struction and determination of the wa
ter hyacinth, has been but a drop in
the bucket, contemplates the introduc-
duction Of the hippopotamus as one
means to bring about the eXtermina-
tion of the hyacinth, and to that end
has introduced bill in congress ap-
propriating s250.OO0 to begin the prop
agatiOn of this animal. Recently a
hearing was had on the Broussard bill
before the committee on agricultural,
at which We're present Capt. Fritz De-
quesne, formerly of the Boor army, DR..
Irwin and Major Burnham, a natural
ist who has had a great deal of expert
ence both in Africa, in this country
and in Mexico. This hearing has
aroused the very liveliest interest and
the newspapers of the country are de-
voting columns to the discussion of
what gives promise Of being of the
first Importance in solving the prob
lem, or at least going far toward solv-
ing the problem. of our meat supply.
Congressman Broussard, in speaking
of his bill said: IF the government
fails to appropriate the amount asked
for in my bill l am in position to say
that the Introduction of the hippopota-
nous into at least some of the bayous
of Louisiana will be undertaken by a
commercial company shortly to be or
ganized. Their Introduction into the
waters of the south is believed to be
-hnl Gil hi 70 Sl,a oil IN
tions of my state are very similar to
those that prevail in Africa, the home
of the hippopotamus.
"African streams and African rivers
are kept entirely clean of water hya-
cinth by the hippopotamus and other
animals like the water buffalo. The
pictures of the Roosevelt expedition
show the rivers of Africa clean of
aquatic plants like the water hyacinth
and our streams could be cleaned up
the same way and navigation made
possible where it is now impossible
for steamers to operate, on account of
the rank growth of this plant which
we have been endeavoring to eWterni-
nate for many years by spraying
dredging and cutting. Then again the
Introduction of the hippopotamus
would go far toward solving the prob
lem of our meat supply.
"The flesh of the hippopotamus is
highly esteemed and when salted and
cured is known in the Cape of Good
Hope as "Zee-koe- speck,'' or Lake
cow bacon. The fatty mass lying be-
tween the skin and the flesh or mus
Gle is considered one of the purest ami
NAL fats and is in great demand among
the Cape ColoniSts. These massive ami
mails We're to the English settlers in
Cape Colony what our buffalo was tc
the pioneers in the settlement of ou1
great prairies and like the buffalo
were heedlessly almost exterminated
SXterminated. Then again the African
buffalo, the bush-buck and reed buck
would also be valuable additions tC
the state which l have the honor ir
part, to represent. Because these ami
mails have not been introduced is no'
a sound reason why they should no
be. Seriously we need every addi
tional species that it is possible Il
secure before its determination take:
place. OF the more than one hundred
species whose flesh is both palatabl'
and nutritious we can find a plac,
somewhere in our great country tha
will be adapted to the successful Drop